"No one can possibly achieve any real and lasting success or 'get rich' in [b]business by conforming to conventional practices or ways of thinking. " [b]Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated [b]above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own [b]experience, observations, or reading. [b][b]Whether a conformist can achieve lasting success or "get rich" in business [b]depends primarily on the type of business involved. Iconoclasts rise to the [b]top in newer industries and in those where consumer demand is in constant [b]flux. Conformists ultimately prevail, however, in traditional service [b]industries ensconced in systems and regulations. [b]In consumer-driven industries, innovation, product differentiation, and [b]creativity are crucial to lasting success. In the retail and media sectors, [b]for example, unconventional products and advertising are necessary to catch [b]the attention of consumers and to keep up with the vagaries of consumer [b]tastes. Those who take an iconoclastic approach tend to recognize emerging [b]trends and to rise above their peers- For example, Ted Turner's departure [b]from the traditional format of the other television networks, and the [b]responsiveness of Amazon.com to burgeoning Internet commerce propelled [b]these two giants to leadership positions in their industries. And in [b]technology, where there are no conventional practices or ways of thinking [b]to begin with, companies that fail to break away from last year's paradigm [b]are soon left behind by the competition. [b]However, in traditional service industries-such as finance, accounting, [b]insurance, legal services, and health care-lasting success and riches come [b]not to non- conformists but rather to those who can deliver services most [b]effectively within the confines of established practices, policies, and [b]regulations. Of course, a clever idea for structuring a deal, or a creative [b]legal maneuver, may play a role in winning smaller battles along the way. [b]But such tactics are those of conformists who are playing by the same [b]ground rules as their peers; winners are Just better at the game. [b]In conclusion, while non-conformists tend to be the wildly successful [b]players in technology-driven and consumer-driven industries, [b]traditionalists are the winners in system-driven industries pervaded by [b]policy, regulation, and bureaucracy. [b]