Do you have it in you to stand out amongst the sea of entrepreneurs? What if I say, yes you do have it in you! because you are not born to live an average life but a life which is worth talking about, a life which you will feel proud to talk about and a life that gives you a feeling of living at the top. It is definitely not just about how much money you can make but about a great life which is totally balanced, where you can add value to your life, value to the life of people around you and add value to the lives of thousands and thousands of people across the society.
You need to identify and develop the qualities that can make you reach and sustain at the peak. You might find it hard to believe, but standing out from the rest in the business world is no rocket science. There are five things that can help you achieve your goal given that you have the right mindset to see your vision through. What we are talking about is not a restless way of building wealth, but tapping into the wealth existing in the universe and using it to aid not only ourselves but the society at large.
An entrepreneur who stands out from the rest almost always carries his/her business with him/her on the way to the top. There are exceptions of course, such as when businessmen are proven to be more effective in business coaching and motivational speaking like in the case of Robert Kiyosaki and the late Zig Ziglar.
When does an entrepreneur stand out?
An entrepreneur obviously stands out when he outshines his competitors by creating value that even the competitors can’t help but admire. There are several other ways through which an entrepreneur can rise above all other businessmen, as in the following cases:
• When an entrepreneur introduces a seemingly impossible idea and makes it successful beyond expectation, such as when Steve Jobs founded Pixar, the first of its kind in the animation industry.
• When an entrepreneur becomes an industry leader and pioneer of new business structures, like when Jeff Bezos steered Amazon to be the biggest and, arguably, unmatched e-commerce corporation in the world today.
• When an entrepreneur proves himself/herself as a dignified business leader who pushes the standard in business operation and customer service to unprecedented heights. A good example is Anne Mulcahy, the former CEO of Xerox who helped uplift her employees’ morale after a year of financial crisis that almost put the company into oblivion.
Trying to stand out from the rest is definitely not hindered by the size of his/her business. Both Google and Apple started in a garage after all. Education matters a lot, but how about Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Bill Gates of Microsoft, and Steve Jobs of Apple? All of these business moguls established their respective businesses without a college degree; all of them are college drop-outs.
The rules to stand out from other entrepreneurs are not written in stone. Some rules are meant to be broken, while some entrepreneurs are meant to create their own rules for others to follow. Nevertheless, there are five qualities that can help you achieve that goal. These are the qualities that the most successful entrepreneurs in history possess:
1. Vigilance
You can never be too complacent as an entrepreneur because every moment you waste or slacken, is a moment your competitors take advantage of. Every customer you lose is money for others to gain. Every new idea and strategy you fail to realize and execute are keys to success discovered by your competitors. More than that it is important to understand that change is inevitable, and we are now in a fast flowing river of change and possibilities. We can either flow at a great pace with the flow or drown, what we need is a strong boat of beliefs; attitude and thinking that can flow with the flow of the river of possibilities.
Being aware, having the right attitude, being ready to change and keeping a look out for new opportunities and possibilities is the key!
2. Borderless imagination
You can call it thinking outside the box or introducing innovation beyond expectation. You can also view it as making a difference or defying standards. You can refer to it as borderless imagination or pure idiosyncrasy. Whatever terms you associate with it, it boils down to letting your imagination create ideas that have never been seen before. Can you innovate tried-and-tested and common products and services? The most successful entrepreneurs made money from offering something new, whether it is a first-of-its-kind or an innovation.
3. Self-belief
If all the college drop-out billionaires today did not believe in themselves, the world would be completely different, from the way computers work to how the internet helps mankind. If Bernard Marcus did not believe in his abilities after getting fired from Handy Dan, a company he co-founded, the world wouldn’t know Home Depot, the largest home-improvement center today.
If automobile pioneer Henry Ford did not believe in his true potential after going bankrupt for the first time, the world wouldn’t see a world-class car brand by an eponymous name.
4. Fearlessness
Fearlessness, as far as entrepreneurs are concerned, should always come with practicality and strategic thinking. You should stay fearless when taking calculated risks. Every action should be carefully planned, researched, and thought of. After all, you wouldn’t know if an idea and plan could succeed if you won’t try, to begin with.
5. Charismatic personality
Great businessman/businesswomen is a great leader. For that to happen, he/she should have a strong influence over his/her followers. He/She should imbibe the philosophy of his/her company. Most importantly, he/she should be the best endorser of his/her business by becoming a role model, not only to his/her subordinates but to everyone in the industry. Living what we believe in, living the values of your own organization and being in integrity with what you think, speak and do will create a magnetic and charismatic personality.
It is clear that it is not easy to stand out in the very competitive business scene. But, it is not impossible. You simply have to be determined to achieve it and have the guts to do what needs to be done to make it happen.
Authored by: Harrish Sairaman
