Developing into an accomplished leader is an incredibly rewarding and amazing experience. Well, it can be rewarding.
But for most people, it is not. It's a tiresome and what some find to be a gruelling experience. Of all the things that are difficult about being a leader, the toughest thing to master is the art of people management.
Most of the problems associated with leadership are all symptoms of people not connecting with each other. And when leaders do not truly understand the "science" and the "steps" needed to succeed at getting those entrusted to them to follow and embrace their vision, they fail.
The greatest leadership lessons can be learnt from entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurs who have managed to navigate the complexities of their business enterprises and the ever-shifting market trends while dealing with people management — the biggest challenge of them all — are the most successful ones.
I have had 15 businesses under my belt. Some are successful but some have failed. But in my 25 years of commercial experience, I can attest that my leadership journey became much better when I adopted an entrepreneurial mindset when dealing with people.
This approach requires a certain way of thinking. It is about how you look at ideas and how you deal with challenges and mistakes.
You must also have an inherent need to improve your skills and to want to keep trying.
In my world of management consulting, training and leadership coaching, I have noticed that effective leaders have a particular drive that gives them the ability to soldier on, and to propel themselves forward in the face of obstacles and adversity.
The daily grind of work can sometimes dampen your drive factor. But if you construct and develop an entrepreneurial mindset in your career, and when dealing with the rigmarole of life, you become better equipped to meet these challenges. In turn, you experience exponential growth.
Thinking like an entrepreneur involves an unstinting commitment to a very narrow vision. This drive allows entrepreneurs to plough through with whatever actions necessary to accomplish their vision. In simple terms, it means that you must be totally committed to your purpose.
It is vital to make an effort to set aside time every single day to focus on your vision and goals. You must bring your vision to the forefront of all your thought processes.
And the next most important thing is to give yourself permission to be challenged.
As an entrepreneur, I can tell you that new challenges come almost every single day. I have learnt to deal with them by recognising that just because obstacles will appear all the time, it doesn't mean I have to be afraid of making mistakes.
Having cultivated this mindset, I can embrace challenges and, at times, actually actively seek them out. Can you imagine if you went about your leadership career with such boldness? It comes down to having a simple and uncomplicated belief structure in your mind.
The first step to establishing an entrepreneurial mindset is to make sure that as a leader, you are able to deliver results. Entrepreneurs focus on profitability and productivity, and want be informed enough to make great decisions. For this, they will work hard at grasping some essential skills such as cost-effectiveness and margin mastery.
Ultimately, entrepreneurs get proficient at managing themselves to achieve their goals. This translates to your leadership journey, too.
Most entrepreneurs focus on their unique selling perspective. This is aimed at making customers covet their offerings. In leadership parlance, this is what a leader brings to table. Why do people "buy in" to your vision? And how do you subtly get the people you lead to be persuaded to your direction?
When leadership mastery is gained and you can create a niche where your team wants to follow you, you will develop exponential growth in your skills of leading people.
For entrepreneurs, this is about ensuring sustainability for a healthy cashflow and the continued development of products or service so as to increase profits.
If you embrace the business mindset in your leadership, you end up with exponential growth in your leadership of people.
Remember that the more you put yourself into uncharted territory, the more you will develop the skills to handle those very tests.
And, as you overcome them, you will also grow in the confidence of knowing that you were able to surmount what once seemed impossible.
So, challenge yourself every day, and don't be so afraid of making mistakes. Failure is but an opportunity for growth. You must extract all of the value from these lessons.
The entrepreneurial mindset is ultimate the best leadership philosophy to adapt at all times, but especially in challenging and uncertain times.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
