By Gabriela Rodríguez
If before, entrepreneurship required emotional strength and the firm decision to do so, during the pandemic, for many it became a priority, awakening the entrepreneurial spirit that some carry inside and pushing that dream of having a profitable business of their own. To this, we must add the digital reality in which we live, where the strengths that entrepreneurs require are not limited only to having an attractive product or service, or to knowing perfectly the market and what you sell. It has to do more with the skills to carry out digital businesses, lead teams, projects, processes, among others.
Faced with this new panorama, which is increasingly digital, entrepreneurs have sought to adapt and innovate to keep their businesses afloat, and although this crisis brings unprecedented challenges, it also provides an opportunity to meet new needs. In this case, it is important that you reflect on what skills you have and which ones you need to continue developing in order to start your business.
Many do not take this part seriously. However, it is essential to know and develop the necessary skills to undertake, so through this space, I want to talk to you about the most important ones.
1. Resilience, a Basic
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One of the most important characteristics that entrepreneurs must have is resilience. This ability to face challenges and adapt to everything is vital, especially in these challenging times, where uncertainty is sometimes the only sure thing we have. Resilience helps entrepreneurs to take the risks that come and to overcome crises. One of the most common mistakes is to surrender to the first mistake or failure, as this is part of the learning curve and no one could say that they started without making a mistake. In addition, looking for new solutions to a problem is key to learning and developing creativity, and only in this way can one persist in the face of adversity, being essential for those who want to undertake. In other words, celebrate mistakes and create a culture of work with your team to make it a practice that strengthens innovation in all members of your venture.
2. Intrapreneurship Above All
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Although it is obvious, another basic skill for entrepreneurs is intrapreneurship—which means having initiative, being proactive, assuming responsibilities, analyzing risks, identifying new growth opportunities, and making decisions are some of the qualities that are manifested by having this ability. Generally, these types of competencies are identified even when a person works in an organization, as they are the first signs that someone has entrepreneurial DNA. If in your previous or current jobs, you are the first to suggest, you have a high sense of urgency, you have plenty of ideas, you commit to new projects, you like to take risks, then it is time to leave that chair and start your business.
3. Entrepreneurship Being Digital
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Digital culture must be a fundamental skill, since a crucial characteristic of an entrepreneur is to understand that man and technology must complement each other, and without a doubt, it is the basis of the growth of any business. In addition, people who have the affinity and ease for the use of technological tools, such as the Internet, mobile applications, or social networks, are definitely more likely to better assume changes and innovations in the context we live in. Currently, 85 percent of startups in Mexico have a digital presence and 36 percent started less than a year ago, according to the Association of Entrepreneurs of Mexico (ASEM).
4. A Transformational Leadership
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The leadership style is also extremely important. Surely they remember their more traditional and authoritarian bosses, so do not replicate it. That style of leadership does not work in entrepreneurship and if for some reason you thought that assuming a leadership role under that format would work, on the contrary, it will take you on the negative side as an entrepreneur. Today we need leaders who adopt new technologies, are agile, reject operational tasks, are very creative, analytical, promote consensus, and are more oriented to the fulfillment of the objectives as a team, not individually. All these characteristics are encompassed by a transformational leader, who, as the name implies, is open to change and constantly innovates. When entrepreneurs continue to be traditional leaders, they close down, they do not generate commitment from their team, they have little capacity to find different paths and overcome difficulties, these being the main causes that lead them to failure.
5. Always Empathetic
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Last but not least, an entrepreneur must be empathetic, not only to understand the needs of clients, but also to direct the work team. An entrepreneur who does not listen to others will hardly be able to communicate the vision of the business and infect others to achieve the objectives of the venture. According to the World Economic Forum, empathy represents a really effective antidote to stress and allows a better connection with employees, as it provides a way to create relationships based on trust.
Many of the challenges that entrepreneurs experience are related to the ability to do everything they propose with few resources, but with the correct skills and attitudes, of course they will allow them to overcome the financial challenges of their ventures, and if they add to their teams people motivated by their leadership and the level of seriousness with which they carry out their endeavors, they are sure that they will be successful.
You could come to wonder, in case these abilities are not so present in you, then maybe you can’t do it? The reality is that it can be done. You just need to create habits and a change-oriented mindset, as skills are developed and put into practice day by day.
Reflect on these skills, work on them, and begin this great journey. This is your time to make your dreams of entrepreneurship come true.
