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Article Contributed by Rose Martin
You stand out. You are fearless. You dream big. You know the power of your mind and words. You are hailed as the next big thing. You are told you are finished. You create, you destroy, you climb, you fall. But you are never afraid to try. If that’s just you I have described, you are an entrepreneur. We have seen an avalanche of entrepreneurs in the last five years. Zuckerberg has stunned us, Hoffman of Linkedin has us all employed, (all pun intended) and, Evan Spiegel of Snapchat emerged as the world’s youngest billionaire at 25.
With stats like that, who wouldn’t want to ride the entrepreneurship tide? Yet, few ace the game, while others are left bleeding money and resources and, with a perennial struggle. After intensive studying of business leaders, books, young entrepreneurs, and almost- successes, I have realized that, this one thing can make or break an entrepreneur. This is indeed the most important ingredient in the recipe of entrepreneurial success- leadership or a strong ability to lead.
Leadership as we Understood v/s Leadership Today
A leader is someone at the top, he controls and takes decisions, he is a symbol of authority and his word is our action. This authority figure also motivates his subordinates and they execute satisfactorily what is asked of them.
Right?
Wrong! Leadership has moved beyond the tenets of ‘yes sir’ and silent compliance. Today’s leaders have broken the rules and concentrate on 360 degree functioning of the company. It’s such leaders who come up with ground -breaking insights and become successful entrepreneurs and businessmen.
To be an entrepreneur, you will have to be a leader, and a good one. Some of us believe that we just don’t have the ability to lead. Wrong again! Each one of us has the ability to be a fantastic leader. Read on and you will believe this.You absolutely have it in you to be a good leader, you just need to master a few things and tap the tsunami of potential you possess. Find out how the changing landscape of leadership and entrepreneurship are directly proportional to one another.
Master the Art of Storytelling
To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to know the pulse of your target audience and your employees. As the bestselling author, Dave Weber would tell you, leadership has been redefined. Leaders who eventually become the most successful entrepreneurs stand out, from the beginning.
They are unassuming, they can make their clients and employees laugh, and they are great storytellers.
The best sellers are the greatest storytellers. That’s what these leaders do, they weave a story around each of their business, a story that is so compelling, that people want to be a part of that story, that story strikes up board-room and dinner-table conversations, a story that potential clients simply cannot ignore.
They take the lead in thinking, dreaming and creating a story, a brand. That’s the first step of being an entrepreneur. The journey only begins from here.
Learn to be Seen
One of the key points of entrepreneurial success is visibility. Being present at the right place at the right time, can give huge impetus to your start-up. But that presence, that visibility is not just a ploy of luck or chance.
It involves study and detailed understanding of social and economic dynamics. A successful entrepreneur is observant, he reads a situation before reacting. He then takes the lead in communicating his message. No one is a born leader or born communicator.
In fact, all of us become introverts suddenly, when we have to speak to a room full of stalwarts.
- ‘How should I talk about myself?’
- ‘Am I selling too hard?’
- ‘Is it the right time or occasion to discuss such things?’
These questions will always plague you, but taking that call to action is what leadership is all about. To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to develop that courage, communication skills and confidence to strike up a conversation, to make smooth small talk , and make your presence felt without being too pushy or cocky.
Take Tough Decisions
Today’s leaders are not in the game to please everybody. They realize that tough calls will need to be taken. Anybody can start and run a business. Only a fearless leader can take it to the next level. Tough decisions will need to be taken. In 2013, 23 -year-old co-founder of Snapchat turned down a $3 billion purchase by Facebook.
Today, in 2015 Snapchat is said to be valued at $16 billion. At a time when high valued acquisitions were functioning as game changers, this young leader and visionary dared to take a risk. The results are for the world to see.
Ruffle a Few Feathers
Leadership requires courage. You will not be able to please everybody. If you are doing that, you are doing something wrong. Stop, think and speak up. Don’t try to keep all your clients happy. Don’t try to be loved by all your employees. Have the courage to be different, to go against the tide, to be unpopular, to have faith in yourself even when the world is against you.
A leader is not selfish, but he is not selfless either. Learn that attribute. Place your business and its interests first. Being agreeable can wait. Keep your communication absolutely clear. If that requires displeasing some people on the way, it’s fine. Let courage be your voice. Voice your courage. A great leader fearlessly does that. A successful entrepreneur needs to do that.
- Raise difficult issues
- Provide tough feedback
- Share unpopular opinions.
Look the Part
Like it or not, to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to look your best at all times. Besides, nothing spells action and seriousness, quite like a crisp bespoke suit, tailored jackets, well-groomed hair and the like. It shows you care. You set an example. There is ample research to prove ,that the way you are dressed affects your productivity and thought processes. Formal business attire automatically makes you more focused, authoritative and competent.
Northwestern University researchers, Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky have researched and found out that clothing can systematically influence the wearer’s attitude and psychological processes.
So, suit up fellas. Not all of us can pull off a Mark Zuckerberg- wear your jumper and trainers and, continue minting billions. Be ready for any opportunity knocking at your door and look the part of a successful and focused leader and entrepreneur.
Trust Your Instincts and Intuition
You know what really successful entrepreneurs do? They don’t over-analyze, they don’t complicate, they don’t procrastinate. They just trust their instincts and execute. In our age of information-assault, it is very difficult to trust our instincts. We feel safer and more secure, when we can see reason and logic somewhere around. But sometimes, you just have to let go and trust your instincts. Good leaders are born out of logic and reasoning, great leaders out of spontaneity, impulse, spur-of-the-moment ideas and instincts.
By no way am I telling you to forget all arguments and reason and rely only on your intuition. What I am telling you, and most successful entrepreneurs will tell you is, to have faith on your intuition and instincts. They can take you to places reason never can. National bestsellers’ author Malcolm Gladwell states in his book Blink, how accurate our first impressions and instincts can be. He cites many studies and real-life situations to explain a theory called thin-slicing. The takeaways of this theory you need to remember to be a successful entrepreneur are:
- We are blessed with the ability to make accurate assessments of a person by just knowing them for a few seconds.
- Great generals can comprehend a battlefield in just a glance
- Students can predict who will be a good teacher by spending mere seconds in their company
- Businessmen can make the best choices instinctively
- Entrepreneurs intuitively know who will be an asset for them in the first few minutes of a meeting.
- The best decisions are often ones that are impossible to explain to others.
Finally, Know That You Are Your Best Investment
You and your idea are worth every penny. Never doubt yourself. Never stop. Never think of going back, no matter how hard the situation.
You have to keep learning, you have to evolve, but you will have to lead from the front. Surrender to your abilities and hard work. Be brave, don’t fear to take the first step, don’t wait for guidance, don’t wait for compliments, accept criticism., be unpopular. Aim high, prepare to fail, prepare to never give up. Sometimes you may have to be all alone, but continue to lead, your conviction will inspire, and,your actions will motivate. Have faith ,and, lead your dreams and your company to dizzying heights of success, recognition and fame. Be a leader worth emulating.
About the Author:
Rose Martin is a blogger and her main interest in blogging is for finance, investment, frugal living, family and beauty. When she’s not working, she enjoys cooking, sipping a cold beer and spending time with family.