We all know them—that person who seeks out the next big idea and acts on it to bring it to fruition. These are entrepreneurs, and they have a very specific mindset that helps them succeed in business and in life.
Who Exactly Is an Entrepreneur?
Merriam-Webster defines an “entrepreneur” as someone who operates a business at their own financial risk. But there’s a lot more that goes into it than money. Business owners and solopreneurs (one-person businesses) live their work. They have built a business from the ground up and are solely responsible for their success or failure.
Entrepreneurs exist in every industry, from agriculture to engineering to manufacturing to government and well beyond. These people make waves wherever they are, which is critical to keep our economy running. What helps the entrepreneur succeed? Their mindset.
What Is the Entrepreneurial Mindset?
The entrepreneurial mindset is multifaceted, but the same entrepreneur qualities tend to pop up in successful businesspeople. People will possess these traits in different measures. But these are the mindsets that keep business owners and creators going in their quests.
Visionary: “Entrepreneurship is not about predicting, it’s about evolving into something,” says Bill Salman in our Take Command Podcast. True visionaries will change the evolution of healthcare, climate change, racial equity, and other important aspects of our struggling world.
Results-Oriented: They may be formulaic about their approach or pivot easily on the fly when things aren’t working, but a true results-oriented mindset is always focused on what’s best for the customer. In the end, it’s their results from using your product or service that really matter.
Perseverance: An entrepreneur expects to face adversity and knows they can and will power through anything. Like Robert Forrester, who was saved from meningitis, an experience that put life in perspective by showing him how to face the worst and overcome it.
Self-Aware: Entrepreneurs start their mindset with what they can control—themselves. They are self-aware, which leads to clear-mindedness and results in empathy toward others.
Adaptable: An entrepreneur goes with the flow and understands that the landscape of business is always shifting, they must shift with it to keep their balance. They have a mindset of being agile to keep up with changing times.
Resourceful: This type of mindset starts from the very beginning of a project or even before. Entrepreneurial minds think ahead and build support systems they can rely on. They see opportunities rather than difficulties and use what is on hand to solve problems.
Purpose: Entrepreneurs, even with their business mindset, focus on their work as a meaningful part of their purpose in life. They choose their actions each day intentionally, and this is what moves them forward toward their goals.
Lifelong Learning: This is the mindset that growth is more important than discomfort. Only by stretching ourselves and always learning more (not just academically, but practically, too) can we reach our goals as true entrepreneurs.
How to Develop These Mindsets
The trick to developing the entrepreneurial mindset is to take action. If you weren’t born with the natural traits of an entrepreneur, no worries! Professional development, like Dale Carnegie’s Entrepreneurs Leadership Boot Camp, can bring forth latent qualities that take you over the edge to pursue your dreams. Don’t put your entrepreneurial dreams on hold. Take a course and get started today.