Written by: Sandrine Gelin-Lamrani, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Do you have the right business mindset? If you're reading this article, you certainly have the entrepreneurial spirit. But do you have the right mindset to grow your business, and yourself? Because beyond the technical skills that every entrepreneur needs to know and master – strategy, product expertise, sales, marketing, communications, legal, finance, team management... – it's your mindset that will determine whether or not you can take your company to the next level.
Why is mindset central to the changes you make as an entrepreneur?
Mindset is a "self-perception", a "self-theory" that we have about ourselves. It's all our beliefs and thoughts that make up our mental attitude and predetermine the way we interpret and react to the realities we face.
Mindset is the mental prism we use to apprehend what surrounds us. It is linked to our inner map of the world. Our way of navigating the outside world is delimited by our inner world. If we limit ourselves in our inner world, we automatically limit ourselves in the outer world.
In the difficult and uncertain periods of an entrepreneur's journey, it's his or her mindset that will largely determine whether he or she survives, perseveres, succeeds... or not. Because our mindset directly influences our actions, which in turn produce results. So in effect, if you change your mindset, you change your actions, and therefore your results.
Choosing the growth side of mind
Mindset, unlike personality traits, can be changed quickly. If you make it evolve, you'll significantly improve your daily life – professional and personal – as well as your results.
A growth mindset is the idea that we are the first people responsible for what we experience and the results we achieve in life. It means evolving in an inner world of responsibility, freedom and positivity. This leads to behaviors such as : taking on even the most arduous challenges, persisting and maintaining our efforts in the face of obstacles or setbacks, feeding off criticism and learning from it to move forward more effectively, finding inspiration in the success of others.
Increase your personal satisfaction in what you do
After years of developing and managing their business, many entrepreneurs find themselves doing things they dislike, even sometimes hate in the worse cases. That’s very often because they have distanced themselves from their passions, usually the very same passions that had them start their company in the first place. In my coaching practice, I also have come across entrepreneurs who have, consciously or not, separated their business from their passions. More often than not, they quickly found themselves in a state of demotivation and idleness. Sometimes turning into sadness or cynicism.
While you have a distinctive ambition for your business – client sales, market shares, revenue, profit, income, etc. – you should take the time to explore what are your real passions and establish how your business nourishes it.
What do you really love to do? What is your relentless inner drive?
What are you excited about? What is compelling for you?
What brings you a deep sense of enthusiasm and energy?
Getting to the bottom of those questions is not an easy task, as you might be tempted to stay at the surface of their true meaning. I’ll give you an example. You might say “I love cooking, it’s my passion”. But in itself, cooking is not a passion, passion is what lies below the surface of cooking: is it the creativity you display when inventing new cooking recipes? Is it the almost scientific preciseness with which ingredients must be combined to be perfectly tasty? Is it the satisfaction you feel when you can see that guests are happy and satisfied?
Setting aside the necessary time to explore and reconnect with what you love to do, what is important to you and what you are good at doing is key. That way, you’ll be able to stay in touch with that spark that comes from connecting with your passions. You will have more energy and motivation for your venture.
It will also help you be ready to go all the way for what you want, particularly in times of turmoil – economic, social, or personal. When difficulties arise or when you find yourself caught in a negative down spiral, asking yourself some questions might help :
Today, to what extend do you do what you love?
Today, what gives you energy, what drains your energy?
How can you recoup your energy by reconnecting to your passions?
Going forward, you will need to channel your energy and focus into nourishing further what you are passionate about. And along the way, make sure to develop the means, resources and discipline to be able to take care of yourself, or else you could become overly stressed or burned out. Recharging your batteries and maintaining your balance is actually a matter of daily routines: "I run every day. It keeps me fit, keeps the endorphins flowing and keeps the brain working properly. I can certainly achieve twice as much in a day if I stay fit. Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group.
Overall, get inspired
" Success is by no means guaranteed, but failure is much more likely if you don't love what you're doing". Biz Stone – Co-Founder and creative director of Twitter
“ If you don’t love it, you won’t make it through the long period of pain that is inevitable. So, make sure that you take care of yourself during the process, make sure you take care of your mental health, your physical health while you are doing it, because it is a long road. Emmett Shear – Twitch
Because it's sometimes difficult for entrepreneurs to assess their mindset, and because it's vital for them to be supported by professionals capable of guiding them through their complex reality, we help them to identify and change the elements of their mindset in order to achieve their big goal. Business Coaching 3.0 by G&L Shit.
Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Sandrine!
Sandrine Gelin-Lamrani, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine A graduate of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Strasbourg and the MS SMIB at ESSEC, Sandrine has been a multi-expatriate and serial entrepreneur for 20 years. She built her 25 years international career in consulting, training, coaching ventures over 8 countries, for clients that include big corporations, Start Ups, and NGOs across a wide range of industries – IT, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Education, Security, Media.
Providing Professional Coaching 3.0 groundbreaking resources and tools, she helps her clients get gRowing by giving them a framework for reflection, placing them in a positive dynamic that generates opportunities, actions, and success. With over a dozen international certifications, accreditations and awards in the field of professional coaching, she supports entrepreneurial leaders, managers and expatriates who wish to consciously take the lead in their own development.
Published Author, Public Speaker and Radio Columnist, she shares her expertise in : interpersonal skills, entrepreneurial mindset, international career & intercultural management.
Her special power : helping you navigate your complex reality thanks to her global expertise, leadership experience, cutting edge strategies and growth mindset!
Her passion : Creating, Connecting, Contributing.
