There was a great, short article in Inc magazine this week. It was by columnist Jeff Haden and talked about doubts entrepreneurs experience.
According to the article, there are 4 toxic beliefs that stop you from succeeding:
1) Someone else is holding me back.
2) I’m too busy.
3) There’s no guarantee that this will pay off.
4) There’s nothing special about me.
Since next week is graduation, spring is in the air and there’s a general sense of optimism here at the Eccles School. As we send yet another cohort out into the world, we thought it would be helpful to briefly discuss how entrepreneurs overcome doubts.
With the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, an Eccles School Entrepreneurship & Strategy academic department and the Sorenson Center for Discovery & Innovation, the Eccles School is knee-deep in entrepreneurship. We understand innovation. Our people launch companies.
But doing so is not without risk and challenge – ironically, two things that feed the entrepreneurship addiction.
It’s fair to say entrepreneurs are the first to recognize, deep down, that what they’re doing may fail. They struggle with all four of those ‘toxic beliefs.’
But what makes an entrepreneur different is her ability to look beyond the doubt, to visualize and work relentlessly toward a hoped-for outcome.
More than anything, an entrepreneur chooses to be optimistic. He believes that despite obstacles, he can be successful. He knows he is in control of his own destiny.
An entrepreneur is smart about her time. She has learned how to efficiently manage and accomplish tasks.
An entrepreneur recognizes he has skills others don’t. He builds on his strengths and partners with others to contribute where he’s weak.
And even if our entrepreneur isn’t a start-up whiz, we know those same skills will be put to good use in every professional endeavor.
It’s almost time for the 2015 commencement at the University of Utah. We think the future is bright. We’re doing our part to contribute smart workers who know how to think through and solve problems.
Best of luck, graduates. You’ll accomplish great things. Don’t let doubt, discouragement or fear stop you from succeeding. We have faith in you.