What Are The Most Influential Skills Of Any Entrepreneur?

The old adage “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” is often used as a sad reminder that sometimes, experience and skill comes second to networking. But of course to draw only that conclusion might not be so helpful. It’s true that some people have advantages in networking, sometimes simply by being born into the right family, but in addition to this, networking is a skill. An entrepreneur who has skills, experience and knows how to network well within their industry may find themselves making use of both sides of that principle.

As such, it’s important to note that the major skills of any entrepreneur can be harder to pin down than usual. Sure, they need to be disciplined, courageous, embrace risk and more, but they also need a range of character skills to help them move forward to the next level. Oddly, this doesn’t mean being brittle, overly headstrong, and 1000% confident in everything they do, but by showing their virtues more deftly over time.

In this post, we hope to explore what those are, and recommend a few methods of benefiting from them:

Selling A Vision

Entrepreneurs need to be skilled at painting a picture of what could be even if that sounds a little crazy right now. It’s not just about having a genius idea of course, it's also about getting others excited about it too. This demands being able to explain your vision in a way that makes sense to different people, no matter if it's potential investors, employees, or customers. This means thinking through questions that could be asked and being a full advocate for every component. Sometimes, it's about telling a story that people can connect with. Remember, not everyone will get it right away, and that's okay. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed. But it does mean you have to consider another perspective and see what fits from there.

Outsourcing With Humility

Any entrepreneur quickly realizes they are just one person. Knowing when to ask for help is a big deal and a nice slice of humble pie. The truth is, you can't be an expert at everything. Smart entrepreneurs know when to bring in others who are better at certain tasks - be that excellent accountants for bookkeeping or a graphic designer to discuss marketing image. If you can learn form those you outsource, consult with those you hire, and always keep an open mind, you’ll have adopted the best possible approach.

Accepting The Responsibility

Being the boss sounds great, but it comes with a lot of pressure. After all, if you want to be the top dog, that means accepting everything the top dog has to deal with. Put simply, the buck stops with you. This means taking responsibility when things go wrong, not just when they go right. It can be tough, especially when you're just starting out and every mistake feels huge, scary, and potentially devastating. But owning up to errors and learning from them is what separates successful entrepreneurs from the rest. It also means making hard decisions sometimes, like letting go of an idea that isn't working or having difficult conversations with team members to enhance accountability or to see how your leadership style hasn’t worked. The upside is that when things go well, you get to enjoy that success knowing you played a big part in making it happen. However, make sure to share the credit among your team, but take on most of the responsibility when issues happen. It’s how leaders become respected.

With this advice, you’ll be sure to make good on your entrepreneurial qualities and lead with confidence.

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