If you ask a professional consultant or business coach what qualities make a successful business leader, you may think that they’d tell you it depends on the individual. In fact, the opposite is true. There are identified skill sets which will equip you better to do business. This means the qualities of top entrepreneurs can be learned and adopted rather than being something innate to only a few. In fact, if you develop the following traits within yourself, you almost can’t help but succeed. How many do you naturally possess? And what can be learned to give you the best advantage?
Being Self-Disciplined
This is a fundamental quality, not just to be successful in business, but to be successful in life. Our journeys tend to be full of temptation to do the wrong thing or to take the quick fix when we know we should be thinking of the long game. The ability to ignore distraction and stay focused on an end result is the key to achieving things. You have to make a habit of being able to persist, even when you don’t feel like it. You have to be able to hear ‘no’ ten times and still go for the eleventh. Acting for the greater good is a huge challenge, but master it and you’ll be set in many areas of your life.
Continuous Learning
Successful entrepreneurs have a curiosity about people and the world. They are constantly seeking to learn from the experience and stories of others, and are able to make connections between different subject matters – in fact, this is where most of them will gain their best business ideas! Whether you’ve studied sociology or are looking at WLU Masters of Computer Science, constantly be on the lookout for new chances to learn and ways to apply your knowledge to your business. Learn about entrepreneurship itself. This gives you a sense of direction and leads to innovation, which is the lifeblood of your business and what will set you apart from your competitors.
Personal Integrity
In the business world, great stock is put on a person’s integrity and what they are like to deal with. If you don’t keep to your word, a reputation will quickly spread among suppliers, financiers, clients and customers, especially in the time of online profiles and reviews. You have to start out by understanding the vision and values that you personally have, and those that you want your business to reflect. Before making any moves, ask yourself if what you are about to do tallies with your vision. Once you lose integrity and the esteem of others, it can be incredibly hard to get if back, so don’t be convinced to act in a way which isn’t authentic for you. You need people to trust you, work with you, extend you credit, buy your products or services and collaborate with you. If word gets out that you can’t be trusted, this could all fall apart.
