Today, most successful businesses run by genuine entrepreneurs focus on people, values and ethics, creating a culture of authenticity, transparency and honesty that ensures that everything surrounds them is empowered and heard. These types of entrepreneurs are those who demonstrate self-discipline and a strong moral code – they don’t take shortcuts or twist their morals to achieve certain goals.
Being entrepreneurial isn’t just for entrepreneurs. Or, let me put it another way – in today’s world, everyone (yes, I think so – everyone, even teachers) needs to see themselves “as an entrepreneur” if they wants to increase its impact.
The question we, as leaders, educators and parents, need to ask ourselves is: what skills, behaviors and attitudes do young people need to achieve and thrive? What do they need to be successful and happy in their life?
A growing body of evidence suggests that the answer lies, at least in part, in an important constellation of non-cognitive skills known as the entrepreneurial mindset. Anecdotal and scientific evidence supports the hypothesis that entrepreneurs approach their work and life in a distinct way. An entrepreneurial mindset is a set of skills that help people overcome challenges, identify and make the most of opportunities, and succeed in a variety of settings.
Whether you want to start your own business, work at a large corporation, or be an individual artist, performer, or practitioner, here are five life skills you need to be good at:
- identify new opportunities for growth and development
- communicate your ideas to people and get their buy-in
- learn and adapt quickly as the world around you changes
- be comfortable with uncertainty and limited information
- take smart and smart bets
Put them together, and you have what is now called an “entrepreneurial mindset”.
Unfortunately, a entrepreneurship is not so common. Some individuals are born into families where they learn it by observation from an early age. They have the drive to start something new, solve the problems they see in the world, and strike out on their own.
The rest of us must work proactively to develop this mindset. Whether you want to start your own business in the near future or work for a big company, developing an entrepreneurial spirit can have a huge impact on your life.
Here are some ways to develop an entrepreneurial mindset for real businesses:
- Set goals – short term and long term
- Build your work experience by taking on paid and unpaid project opportunities
- Work to improve, even when no one is watching
- High levels of curiosity and observation of how things work wherever you go
- Learning to have fun while being uncomfortable
- Assess the risk by asking “what is the worst that can happen and how am I going to deal with it?”
- Your network is your net worth – invest time helping and connecting with people
Being an entrepreneur is like being a farmer – you are involved in creating something out of nothing, things can go wrong at any time and you face a never-ending and not-so-easy process. But then it’s hugely satisfying to watch your creation come to life. It’s nice to see value being created. It’s fun to see ideas come to life.
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed above are those of the author.
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