Four Tips To Cultivate The Mindsets Of Successful Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship is hard work. You need to show up daily and put in a lot of time, effort and resources to start and build a business for the long term.
By Dorothy Mitchell •
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Entrepreneurship is hard work. You need to show up daily and put in a lot of time, effort and resources to start and build a business for the long term.
There are a number of important traits that successful entrepreneurs share in common. I asked four business leaders for tips on how to cultivate the mindset of the most successful entrepreneurs. To stand a better chance at succeeding in business, pay attention to these four hacks:
1. Own And Maximize Your Extrovert Traits
If you are a decided introvert, don't worry. That doesn't mean you completely lack any personality traits of an extrovert. In fact, it's widely considered that extroversion and introversion exist along the same spectrum. What this means is that there is no roadblock stopping an introvert from enhancing extrovert traits- both Bill Gates and Elon Musk stand out as introverts who have adopted extrovert traits. "An introvert may prefer to join in on one to one or small group conversations at get-togethers," says Larry Connor, CEO, The Connor Group. "At the same gathering, an extrovert may be actively reaching out to other people. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, you can work hard to recognize when you are feeling comfortable and engaged. Then, practice your introvert traits. You could ask someone to introduce you to another person, compliment someone you don't know, even propose a toast. The idea is to boost those traits and feel more comfortable in highlighting them."
2. Find Opportunities To Perfect And Deliver More
Successful entrepreneurs have perfected the art of going above and beyond to deliver more than they've promised. Conscientious people also work hard to keep promises, and continually improve and perfect their products and services. A study of 111 entrepreneurs showed that the ones who had running businesses after eight years were the most conscientious. "One way to develop conscientiousness and always wow clients is to think in terms of a formula: required action + 1 = conscientiousness," says Lawmence Wong, CEO, Cleverus SEO. "For example, building a landing page for your client is a required action. The "+ 1' could be any action that either makes the landing page better than the original requirements or delivers an additional level of service. To make conscientiousness a habit, consider applying the formula to all aspects of your life, not only your work."
3. Use Mentoring To Achieve An Open Mind
Openness is simply the willingness to consider things beyond one's own perceptions and experiences. People who are open are more willing to try new solutions to problems, listen to the perspectives of others, and participate in new experiences. "Being open isn't something that simply applies to the external," explains Kai Schuette, CEO of Service Tracking Systems. "People who are not open often establish an internal roadmap that determines their goals, views and positions. Their plans regarding work and life often adhere strongly to that roadmap. By finding a great mentor who will challenge your perceptions and encourage you to be open to new viewpoints and opportunities, you can better develop the trait of openness, and become a better entrepreneur."
4. Give Your Altruistic Muscle A Workout
According to a 2006 study, which is part of a continuation of 40 years of research, agreeableness is one of the most common traits of successful entrepreneurs. "People who have the personality trait of agreeableness show high levels of empathy and altruism," notes Ayxsa Moss, CEO, Executive Cleaning Services, LLC. "In fact, working on improving the sub trait of altruism may be the best way to develop the trait of agreeableness overall. After all, what would improve traits such as empathy, getting along with others and the ability to consider the impact of one's actions on others than to focus on being more altruistic? That's a mindset successful entrepreneurs have mastered."
Related: Tackling The Entrepreneurial Madness: Rational Strategies Behind Startup Success
