When I think about people behaving with an entrepreneurial spirit, I think of two key attributes—attitude and behaviour.
Those two characteristics translate into every successful entrepreneur’s mindset.
An entrepreneur has two factors to face when launching an entrepreneurial venture—internal and external.
The external involves the environment, the marketplace and other relevant components outside of the entrepreneur and their business.
The external factors represent the greatest risk to your venture and cause you to adapt to circumstances beyond your control.
Think of it further as the proverbial—opportunities and threats—opportunities which can cause your venture to prosper if you respond to them correctly and promptly; and threats which could cause your downfall if you do not learn how to adapt.
As for the internal factors of an entrepreneurial venture, this is what I think creates the success for a business venture—the strengths and weaknesses of the entrepreneur and their business idea.
An entrepreneur’s personal development touches victory more often than people may think.
An entrepreneur’s personal development will determine how he or she responds to those external factor complications.
There are those who believe if you develop yourself professionally, that being engrossed in your venture will come at the expense of your personal life.
But really, there’s more to just being labeled an entrepreneur.
Many studies conducted by experts in this field centre on identifying the traits possessed by victorious entrepreneurs.
However, one crucial item that should never be disregarded if one wishes to become a successful entrepreneur is mindset, the touchstone that plays a very important role in the achieving success equation.
Mindset, the literature offers us, is an outcome of attitude and behaviour.
Much has been written in leadership and entrepreneurship gospels highlighting the importance and impact of attitude on life.
For instance, attitude is more important than facts, than the past, than education, money, circumstances, failures, successes. It will make or break a venture for certain.
The truly remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day of our lives regarding our attitude and corresponding behaviour to embrace for that specific day.
We can’t change our past. We can’t alter the inevitable.
For me, I am convinced at this stage my life is 10 per cent what happens to me and 90 per cent how I react—and we are in charge of our attitude.
It’s the belief of many that the true character of the entrepreneur is not measured by falling, but by how often one keeps getting up.
The best kind of entrepreneurial character development for anew venture creation is how to take you hit and not let it defeat you.
As an entrepreneur, you will be facing defeats in life. Bruises will form over your venture reputation. Competition will leave you wanting to quit.
But despite all of that, you need to stand up and raise your arms to the sky in victory.
Financially speaking, you need to lay it all on the line for your dream machine
Given time, you will realize that all the risks you took were worth the outcome.
Hold onto your dream whenever anything threatens to break you apart.
In times of turmoil, let the development of your character shine forth.
The famous golfer Arnold Palmer, I am told, has a framed plaque on his office wall which tells us why he has been victorious both on and of the golf course.
It reads:
“If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you’d like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost certain you won’t……
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.”
Balance, is therefore, very essential to reaching the entrepreneurial victory podium.
Learn how to prioritize what is important on your journey. Juggling glass balls may find you afraid to drop even one and trying to keep them all in the air can wear you out.
So remember, some of those balls are actually made of rubber and will bounce back if you occasionally drop them.
Let me close this week’s column with this pearl of wisdom from the famous Green Bay Packers football coach Vince Lombardi, one that I draw on in my daily life as it brings me joy merely just to recite it aloud:
”I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour—this greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear—is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a worthy cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle…victorious.”
