The Heart Of An Entrepreneur
It's not about the money, fame, fancy cars, big houses or flashy things...
"An entrepreneur is an innovative initiator who takes the responsibility to translate ideas into commercially viable innovation, entities, or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so." Aashish Pahwa.
I love the above definition of an entrepreneur. And if you look closer, you will discover certain terms give colour to the definition and for us to understand the definition better, we will look briefly at each of these terms.
Innovation: An entrepreneur understands the importance of innovation and how it works. They know that innovation is the wheel of development and entrepreneurship is nothing without innovation.
Read more about innovation: What Is Innovation | IdeaScale
Initiator: They take the first step and lead others to follow. The entrepreneur is the one who is the primary bearer of an idea or strategy. They are always in front and not ashamed of the idea they champion.
Responsibility: If it fails, they are prepared to take the brunt, and of course, if it blows up, they will be there to receive the accolades.
Finding And Building Value: An idea isn't going to push itself out and become something real. It's the entrepreneur's job to labour in making an idea valuable, that is, taking that idea to the point where it becomes a real solution.
Taking Risks: They take all the risks. There's more risk attached to entrepreneurship. The risk of failure is high, and the entrepreneur is usually more financially and mentally invested in nurturing the idea. Entrepreneurs understand the principles of taking risks.
I firmly believe entrepreneurship is more of a philosophy—a lifestyle (a way of life).
Financial books and experts may have many technical definitions of what entrepreneurship is.
Entrepreneurship is a spirit; it's more like a mindset that guides a small set of individuals who think and act very differently from how the crowd thinks and acts.
If you closely study the lives of entrepreneurs, both great and small, you'll definitely observe similar patterns.
It doesn't matter if they're Sergey Brin or the guy trying to solve the problem of lack of financial inclusivity in a small remote village somewhere in Africa; they all have many things in common, and one trait that stands out boldly is their deep desire to solve problems.
Solving problems is the entrepreneur's primary itch; it's what makes them tick.
Without problems, we don't have entrepreneurs; maybe we would have ordinary salespeople or business owners doing what they are doing because they have to (make a profit). There isn't any deep inherent desire whatsoever to solve problems or even innovate; this is what singles the entrepreneur out of the crowd.
They love solving problems.
They are excited when they see problems around them.
They are first concerned about solving the problem; money doesn't come first on the list. Besides, if you provide a solution to a problem, people will naturally come looking for that solution, and that simply means they will exchange their money for that solution.
Entrepreneurs focus on solving a problem perfectly well. They know that money is naturally attracted to solutions. If you want to make big money, just solve big problems.
Why do neurosurgeons make a lot of money? It's simple. They solve some of the most difficult and complex problems in surgery.
Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are making loads and tons of money because they are solving real problems on a large scale.
The true entrepreneur understands this principle, and they use it effectively.
"There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others." Mandy Hale.
The Place Of Creativity
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." Walt Disney.
Creativity is the element that beautifies an idea.
Ideas lack power and attraction without creativity, and entrepreneurs know this, so they cherish creativity, they are always in hot pursuit of it. They adore their creativity and are always looking for ways to get better at it.
Entrepreneurship without creativity is dry!
The best entrepreneurs are the ones who have mastered the art of leveraging creativity to push out their ideas.
An idea might be good, solid and may have the potential to solve many problems, but if it's not attractive enough, it won't give enough value to be ever considered a breakthrough.
“Some men see things as they are and say ‘why?’ I dream of things that never were and say ‘why not.’” George Bernard Shaw.
Apple shines so well in the arena of creativity.
They have wonderful ideas in the form of their products, and they have also mastered creativity. So, whenever they design a new product, they ensure it goes out to the world with a lot of creative backing, from the design and marketing to the presentation.
Does creativity come naturally?
Well, some people may have a natural talent for being creative, which means they can look at things from different perspectives and draw out unique patterns and styles to make an idea look more attractive. However, there's also room for people to learn how to get creative, even if they don't naturally have it. Though research has proven that we are born naturally creative. However, over time, we tend to shed our creative abilities because of an education system that doesn't give room to the creative genius hidden in us.
Creativity is a deep expression of the ideas we have in our hearts as entrepreneurs. And, it knows no boundaries; it occupies an infinite universe. We could always go there, draw from it, and there will always be something new to offer. It's just so amazing!
“Creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives … most of the things that are interesting, important, and human are the results of creativity… [and] when we are involved in it, we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life.” - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
On Resilience And Grit
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with dust and sweat; who strives valiantly, who errs and may fall again and again because there is no effort without error or shortcoming." Theodore Roosevelt.
Entrepreneurs are not timid or scared individuals. They may feel intimidated by their ideas or be shaken by the challenges and obstacles that arise, but they never back down or give up--this is one of the traits that sets them apart from others.
Many of us will never know our abilities, gifts and talents in life until we eventually grow old and die.
It's perfectly fine to want a peaceful and comfortable life. There's nothing wrong with it. However, the downside to living a small and comfortable life is that you may never encounter challenges that push you beyond your limits and help you grow. These challenges can be tough, but they can also help you discover your potential and make your life more fulfilling.
This is why many prefer to live in a job that pays for everything or never even try to take on challenges or leave their comfort zones.
To them, there are no risks in their comfort zone. They forget that the real risk in life is living unfulfilled.
In every man lies treasures buried. And it won't just take a little rain to wash those treasures to the surface; you'd have to dig them out. Digging them out would mean leaving your comfort zone, getting hurt, losing some sleep, learning new skills, cutting out old and bad habits, striving to be productive and doing many hard and difficult things.
"An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he'll quickly learn how to chew it." Roy Ash.
The Real Growth Mindset
"Be so good they can't ignore you." Steve Martin.
The entrepreneur's heart is flexible enough to change with the tide. They know when to be rigid and stand and when (and how) to bend like the elephant grass that can bow to the force of the wind or flood, and after the winds and floods are gone, it stands right up.
Being too rigid and impervious to change, expansion, and growth is a disease that entrepreneurs run away from.
"The Growth Mindset." That's a buzzword, especially in today's social world, that hammers on the need to be productive and innovative.
Everyone is talking about the importance of growth; however, despite the popularity of the philosophy of a growth mindset, many people still don't really understand what it means.
For entrepreneurs, developing a growth mindset is a must if they ever want to make any significant impact in the world of entrepreneurship.
The entrepreneurial landscape is hardly predictable. Things could get really good fast and go south at the same speed!
So, those who can survive such an uncertain world must be flexible enough. They must have hearts that can stand the heat and the cold.
They are not like the Iroko tree that refuses to bend with the wind. They know when (and how) to bend. And when I mention "bend," I don't mean to compromise; instead, I mean to mature, grow and build capacity.
It's the ability to get better and not just remain in one spot.
The ability to evolve and adapt. That's simply what a growth mindset is.
Entrepreneurs know how important it is and embrace it with all their hearts.
Learn Until You Die
“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” John A. Shedd.
I wish I had more time to express my feelings on this topic.
There's a lot I want to share, but time and space hinder me.
Learning is the emblem of great souls.
I have never seen a great fellow who despises learning. They are always looking for what to learn.
If you want to be a great person in whatever field you find yourself, just embrace the learning culture. And that's it.
As water and food are to our physical bodies, so is learning to our souls. When we learn, we get healthier, and our souls are nurtured.
Learning makes us better people. That is true learning. I believe that the more human beings learn about themselves, the world, and the people around them, the more they get better because they will appreciate life more.
Learning isn't all about knowledge. There are people who have a lot of knowledge in their heads but lack learning in their hearts.
Some people have a lot of academic qualifications, but when you interact with them, you are amazed to find out that they are just empty souls.
It's so unfortunate, though, and I wish we had more people who took learning seriously, the kind of learning that transforms them from the inside out.
The entrepreneur knows this truth, and they practice it like a doctrine.
To solve problems is like sacrificing yourself. You give yourself out, and the only way you can have such capacity as a human being is if your heart is big enough and learning is that nutrition that nurtures the entrepreneur's heart.
“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” Warren Buffett.
Don't Leave Emotional Intelligence Out Of The Equation
This post isn't complete if we don't talk about emotional intelligence.
The ability to be compassionate and exhibit empathy are signs of true greatness.
Do you know we have false greatness? Oh, yes, we do. Those folks who become great and don't have any atom of love or empathy for those around them.
When you see a truly great man with empathy, you know because the love in their heart naturally draws you to them.
Leadership without empathy will be ineffective because empathy is one of the channels you use to connect to the people you lead.
Entrepreneurs know this, so they don't allow the grind and hustle to dull their hearts and make them lack empathy.
As an entrepreneur, you are solving human problems, and for you to stay connected to these problems and make it about the people and not about yourself, you must operate with a very high emotional quotient.
Jobs Are Not Meant To Be Evil
Well, we'll talk more about this in the next post. I have a whole lot to write about jobs.
I know, you have heard people talk a lot about how jobs are making us poor and all that stuff. However, I want you to know that your job is not evil.
There's a lot you can learn from having a job, and the lessons you learn are very important; you need them.
People have to be taught about the importance of having a job. The modern digital world is starting to make it look as if jobs are here to make us let go of our dreams. Well, it depends totally on how you approach the matter.
In my next article, I will write in detail about this issue.
Recommended Reads:
Sahil Lavinga's Story of Failure, Entrepreneurship and Triumph:
Highly informative. Thanks for sharing. Indeed, solving problems through creativity while being resilient and ever-learning are qualities of entrepreneurs. You mentioned that they are not scared individuals. Does that mean they are never afraid?
Thank you so much for sharing, sir!