When new entrepreneurs are looking to get started, they often check out other businesses for the clues that success leaves behind. No matter what industry you are involved in, there will never be an easy-to-follow blueprint on how to become successful. The truth is, it takes effort and you have to change yourself over time to meet the necessities of your industry. While these necessities may be different depending on your specific business venture, there are several attributes that are consistent amongst many famous entrepreneurs. Change your mentality to become successful by adopting these traits and philosophies.
Big Picture Thinking
To be a business owner or entrepreneur, you always need to think about the big picture and end goal. If the goal is to push a new product to market and eventually sell it, you shouldn’t be getting caught up in the small details like manufacturing costs, or customer complaints. When you are the sole person running the business, of course these aspects matter, but as you hire more employees you have to focus your attention on the bigger problems. Look ahead to what’s next, like the next trend or stage of your business.
Managing Your Emotions
One of the most important parts of the mentality that business owners need is also one that is often overlooked. While we may spend hours researching growth hacks or reading up on market news, we often don't take the time to consider how our own emotions play into our goals and efforts. When it comes to the business world, you need to be in charge of your emotions. It takes a strong person to keep a level head and a positive outlook when things aren’t going to plan.
For many reasons, the poker world is often compared to the world of business. Not only does this arena offer some great lessons on bankroll management and how to stay focused for hours on a singular task, but you can also learn about keeping your emotions in check. This is crucial when you are continuously working alongside other professionals.
In the world of poker, there is an effect known as tilt. This is when you let your emotions get in the way of your performance and it is applicable to just about every industry. The book The Mental Game of Poker goes into detail about this phenomenon. In this informative guide, the author Jared Tendler draws from years of experience helping athletes and professionals understand the causes of tilt. If you learn more about psychology it will help you to better recognize your own emotional triggers and become a stronger person overall.
Play To Your Strengths, Hire Otherwise
Everyone has their own personal strengths and weaknesses and this is a key component of the entrepreneurial mindset. It doesn’t make sense to strive to be a well-rounded person and minimize your weaknesses; this takes time and in many ways you will never be as effective as someone else who naturally has strength where you are weaker. Take some time to reflect and understand what your skills are. If you are at the point where you already have a business running, you should have a good idea anyway.
For these reasons, you should always focus on playing to your strengths, and fill your needed roles with people who have the attributes you are looking for. Hiring can be a tricky subject for many business owners. They don’t want to hand responsibility over to others, which is understandable. Trust can be hard to give, but hiring employees to scale your business is something that is continuously mentioned by successful entrepreneurs – it is crucial. To sum it up, know what areas you are good in and make sure you have your complete focus on them. Outside of that, hire the best people you can find to do the rest.
You’re Always Selling
Another big part of the entrepreneurial mindset is to become comfortable with selling. There is a negative stigma around selling, as if you are somehow taking advantage of others. This is not the truth. If you have built an honest business you should be proud to offer your services. The plain fact is, regardless of your business model, you are always selling. Though many people struggle with it, you have to reach a point where you are comfortable negotiating, naming your price, turning down requests for discounts and selling yourself and your product in general.
