Aren’t we all, to an extent, mystified by the successes of some individuals who seemingly rose from nothing to achieve so much? Think of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos—modern-day superheroes who not only drastically shaped the world but also became providers of the modern economic and social systems, paving the way for many to find livelihoods and sustenance. Entrepreneurship is the buzzword for this century. Its leaders hope to take on the task of solving problems for humanity, upholding innovation as a means to find solutions, and diversifying the economic opportunities available to the world. Even though not all of us are born entrepreneurial, we can surely learn about the top entrepreneurial traits and strive to cultivate them.
Drink from the Motivational Mug
How it would all be so simple if just a sip from the motivational mug could give us the boost we needed! Luckily, there is no such mug—imagine the consequences of one too many sips. Motivation exists inwardly; it is not something that exists in the outer world. Most entrepreneurs are self-motivated. They are usually passionate about what they do and they are ready to overlook immediate rewards—monetary or otherwise—in order to achieve their lofty goals. Some people are born more motivated than others; however, if you wish to fill an entrepreneur’s shoes, you can try to acquire habits and routines in life that help you develop and nurture motivation. Adopt a healthy lifestyle that gives you the stimulus to power through the day.
Do Yoga to Be Flexible
Yoga can loosen your joints and improve your mood. It can’t, however, promise you entrepreneurial flexibility. Entrepreneurs have a thick skin against uncertain outcomes. They know that things most likely will not go their way the first time around. They know that they should keep on trying until things start working in their favour. To attain resilience, the importance of taking the plunge cannot be downplayed. Start with something—anything you can think of—and see how well you do. If you’re a foodie, start a small food business from home. If you are a music lover, start a YouTube blog to see if anyone subscribes to your channel. Treat your endeavours as small entrepreneurial experiments. Learn from your failures and move to the next experiment, and the next, and so on.
Throw Paint on a Canvas for Creativity
Creativity unfortunately doesn’t result from splashing paint on a canvas, as fun as it sounds. Entrepreneurial creativity arises from thinking differently about existing problems to find innovative solutions. Your initial impulse to getting rid of a lot of junk in the garage might be discarding it. An entrepreneurial mind would, conversely, find a way to sell it in a garage sale. Similarly, such a mind would look for novel uses of AI or find a way to automate house cleaning through technological innovation. Try to get yourself a different point of view to differently at the world. Think of yourself as a detective or a journalist who is curious and passionate to know about the world in general.
Get Wasted for Collaboration
While it sounds tempting to have boundless fun at parties, mostly it can be counter-productive if you aim to develop people skills for successful collaboration. Do visit parties but for the purpose of getting to know others instead of overindulging. Entrepreneurs know that collaboration with others can help them reach their goals. They improve their communication skills and networking capabilities in order to recruit like-minded or ambitious people into their entrepreneurial venture. Many times, the people they bring in will want to back out, but they know how to convince them back in.
Be in Someone Else’s Shoes
Being in someone else’s shoes means thinking from their perspective, from their point of view. In other words, develop a sense of empathy for others. Empathyhelps entrepreneurs know about consumers, customers, users and others like them for whom they are in the business. It also provides insights into the problems faced by people they work with, making them successful as leaders who care.
While being an entrepreneur is not that simple, working on personal motivation, improving flexibility, enhancing creative thinking, becoming a better collaborator and developing empathy can help you get on the road to success.
Amy Allen | Contributing Writer
