| 5 + years working with professionals in Business | | | | entrepreneurs are not only goal driven and goal |
| Development, universally I've discovered that they | | | | oriented; they have learned to execute the process |
| have learned to think like entrepreneurs. This is what | | | | of strategic and tactical goal setting and planning. |
| has allowed them to rise to the top of their | | | | Visualizing goals, writing them down and putting |
| profession. Each would tell you that along the way | | | | together a detailed plan for achievement provides |
| they have learned how to think differently. | | | | the confidence and motivation to prevail. More than |
| True entrepreneurs struggle with their business | | | | just business or operational plans, they have goals |
| opportunities for a variety of reasons. Among the | | | | and plans for all the important roles in their life. They |
| most obvious are a lack of capital, lack of | | | | have learned early that if they aren’t working |
| understanding about marketing, and personnel issues. | | | | their own plan they are probably part of someone |
| However, from my own entrepreneurial experience | | | | else’s goals or plans. They chart their own |
| and knowledge of others, there are three major | | | | destiny, embrace risk-taking leadership positions, |
| reasons individuals fail in entrepreneurial ventures. | | | | make adjustments as required and prevail over a |
| They tie the success of their business with their own | | | | course of time. |
| self worth. | | | | Tolls |
| They neglect to set realistic goals and plans for | | | | Finally, entrepreneurs understand that there is a toll |
| themselves and their business. | | | | to pay. To be successful in any role in life you must |
| They are not prepared to pay the price of success. | | | | be prepared to pay full price one time. There are |
| True entrepreneurs with the right thinking prevail | | | | really no overnight successes as an entrepreneur. In |
| over a period of time. They have learned to | | | | fact, Ive heard it said that overnight success |
| understand the axiom Roles, Goals, and Tolls. | | | | generally takes 15-20 years. One of the early tolls |
| Roles | | | | that entrepreneurs are quite often forced to face is |
| Successful entrepreneurs, in contrast to those who | | | | the re-making of themselves that can include |
| struggle, have learned to separate their roles in life | | | | growing beyond their current circle of contacts. Since |
| from their self worth or self-identity. They | | | | most people tend to stay within their own |
| understand that role performance or failure with their | | | | psychological comfort zone, they begin to lose |
| own venture is not a judgment of them as an | | | | identity with the risk taker. They are comfortable |
| individual. People who tend to equate their self-worth | | | | with the type of person who is more like them. Quite |
| to their composite role identity are inherently | | | | often the entrepreneur moves on to a different |
| risk-adverse and look to maintain the status quo. | | | | circle of associates who understand the journey. |
| Being able to differentiate these two identities allows | | | | Stepping out, being your own person and venturing |
| them to be risk prone vs. risk adverse, a key | | | | into the risk prone unknown is lonely by itself. |
| ingredient to success as an entrepreneur. Individuals | | | | Consequently, there can be a newfound stress in old |
| who have risked failure, experienced it, and learned | | | | relationships. It’s been said before that |
| from it, have not only learned how to differentiate | | | | pioneers get shot in the front and the back, and only |
| their role identity from their self-identity, they have | | | | through a process of differentiating role performance |
| learned the lessons of risking and failing. They | | | | from self-worth, being risk prone, prevailing through |
| understand that early failure in ventures is a natural | | | | adversity, sticking to your goals, and adjusting your |
| part of successful startups. They are able to | | | | plans will you be prepared to pay the daily toll. |
| embrace those experiences, learn from them quickly | | | | An entrepreneur has much to learn in order to be |
| and move on. This is critical to success as an | | | | successful, including the day-to-day mechanics of |
| entrepreneur. They must be willing to face and deal | | | | running a business, producing products, delivering |
| with early failures in order to prevail over time. | | | | services, making money and dealing with people. The |
| Goals | | | | biggest challenge of all is developing an understanding |
| Even though much is said and written about goals | | | | of themselves. They come to grips with what they |
| and plans being necessary for success as an | | | | want and what motivates them; this sustains their |
| entrepreneur, few people learn the mechanics of | | | | willingness to prevail over the long term against |
| successful goal setting and planning. It’s not | | | | adversity. Successful entrepreneurs have learned to |
| the plan but the planning that is important, and the | | | | transform their thinking, allowing them to prevail |
| goal setting process allows them to develop the | | | | where others fail along the way. |
| confidence to take risks and fail. Successful | | | | |