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Tag: Leadership Qualities

  • 5 Leadership Lessons from ‘Professor Messi’

    This article was written by Evan Nierman, an Entrepreneurs’ Organization member in South Florida. He is the CEO of Red Banyan, a global PR firm specializing in brand building, communications training, and crisis management. Nierman drew leadership lessons from Lionel Messi’s actions as he led Inter Miami to the 2025 Major League Soccer Cup championship earlier this month.

    Inter Miami’s recent championship run was a major moment in American soccer, yet its significance extends far beyond the sport and contains important lessons for every organization.  

    The arrival of Lionel Messi changed the team’s belief in what was possible and shows how a leader can influence the performance and mindset of an entire organization. His presence helped the club find a clearer identity, strengthen its culture, and compete at a level it had not reached before. 

    Messi’s approach to winning on the field highlights how strong teams take shape, how confidence grows through daily habits, and how leaders elevate others through calm and steady guidance. His MLS Cup championship run provides a practical blueprint for organizations that want to grow, compete, and perform under pressure to achieve victory. 

    Here are five lessons from Professor Messi that translate directly to leadership and management in any field. 

    1. Success begins with a strong vision. 

    Inter Miami did not build its recent success on talent alone. Before Messi stepped onto the field, the organization had a vision for what it wanted to become. Ownership, guided by David Beckham, shaped the identity of the club and made decisions that aligned with that direction. Messi was a core part of this plan, and the foundation of the team’s success, but not the only key element.  

    This is a valuable reminder for leaders. Exceptional talent thrives when the destination is clear. Vision sets expectations, aligns teams, and provides a shared understanding of what success looks like. When the direction is set, the entire team moves ahead with focus and unity. 

    Entrepreneurs’ Organization

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  • Retention Starts on Day One — And It’s on Leaders, Not HR | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Research shows that 70% of new employees decide whether a job is the right fit within their first month, including 29% within the first week. Despite this, the conversation around employee retention in many companies starts far too late.

    It often begins only after people have already disengaged and are considering leaving. At that point, HR may step in to address concerns and offer perks that were previously overlooked, but by then, it’s frequently a last-ditch effort.

    These late-stage actions have their place, but the decision to stay or leave is ultimately driven by the leadership people experience every day. Employees stay when they are led well, when they are hired into teams that work, when they trust the tone and consistency of their leaders and when what the company says matches what they live.

    It is observed that 70% of the variance in team engagement, which defines the employee experience, comes from managers. However, most often, leadership treats culture and retention as HR’s function instead of taking ownership of delegating trust.

    But if you want a team that people want to stay on, leadership has to build it every day from the very first hire.

    Related: This Is the Retention Strategy You’re Probably Overlooking

    Why companies get this wrong

    I’ve worked with countless leaders who want to build great teams. But wanting that and knowing how to do it are two different things. Most of us are never really taught how to create an environment where people choose to stay and do their best work. More often, we figure it out on the fly, after years of trial and error.

    And what ultimately shapes that experience is not a formal culture program. It is the everyday signals leaders send, who they choose to hire, how teams are built and how they respond when things go well and, more importantly, when they don’t.

    These are the cues people watch as they tell them what the company values and whether they can see themselves growing here.

    It took me years of pattern-spotting to see which leadership habits improve retention. Five, in particular, have stayed with me as practical ways to do that work. They might help you as well.

    Related: Your Retention Crisis Won’t End Until You Make This Shift

    Practice 1: How you hire determines who stays

    Hiring still relies too heavily on technical skills, which is the easiest part to measure. But it’s not a lack of skills that drives people out the door; it’s a poor fit for the role or the culture.

    When employees leave, they usually explain that the job was not what they expected or that they could not see a future for themselves. Those are hiring mistakes, not performance problems. The people who last see meaning in the company’s direction and feel the team is a place where they can grow. Skills may open the door, but alignment and motivation make people stay.

    Practice 2: How you shape the team determines how it performs

    Every new hire reshapes the team you already have. The wrong hire, even a skilled one, can weaken trust and make collaboration harder.

    A strong hire can lift the team by bringing balance and energy. The difference is not always visible on day one, but over time, it shows in how the team communicates and performs. That is why, before hiring, it’s important to examine the team’s state and ask whether this person will strengthen or disrupt its rhythm.

    Practice 3: What you allow becomes the culture

    The culture is defined by what you reward and tolerate, not what you say. You can talk about collaboration in any way you want. But if managers reward individual heroics and tolerate siloed behavior, that’s your culture.

    You can include “innovation” in your values. But if people are punished for small failures or if leaders tolerate endless risk-avoidance, the real culture is fear. If you want to build a culture worth staying in, be honest about what you are rewarding and what you are letting slide.

    Related: Don’t Underestimate the Power of Company Culture — It Matters.

    Practice 4: Leadership attention drives retention

    As companies grow, the distance between leaders and the rest of the organization grows with them. If you do not close that gap with intention, trust begins to fade, no matter how strong your culture looks on paper.

    You will not hold alignment with a memo or an all-hands. What matters are the signals where you spend time, and how you show up when pressure is high.

    People watch most closely in uncertain moments and leave when the leadership they experience no longer matches what they were promised.

    Culture is held together less by proximity and more by deliberate presence. It drifts when leaders stop showing up in ways that keep people connected to the mission and one another.

    Practice 5: Your energy sets the tone

    One thing that took me years to fully appreciate is that your energy is contagious as a leader. What you project through tone, attention, body language, and behavior directly shapes how people around you feel and perform.

    Calm steadiness builds confidence, while restless energy spreads just as quickly. The people who carry your culture most strongly are usually the first to feel it. They pick up on your tone, and their reaction influences the rest of the team. When they sense balance and clarity, they magnify it.

    Therefore, before stepping into a room, decide how you want people to feel and bring that energy with you. Your tone matters as much as your decisions in moments of change or pressure. When people feel steadiness from you, they find it in themselves and give more of their best.

    Related: Keep Your Top Talent with These 3 Employee Retention Secrets

    Retention is earned or lost in leadership

    Perks and HR policies play a role, but can’t compensate for weak leadership. Retention is built in leaders’ everyday work, including who they hire, what they reward, where they show up, and the tone they set.

    If you want teams, people want to stay on; lead them in a way that makes staying the natural choice.

    Research shows that 70% of new employees decide whether a job is the right fit within their first month, including 29% within the first week. Despite this, the conversation around employee retention in many companies starts far too late.

    It often begins only after people have already disengaged and are considering leaving. At that point, HR may step in to address concerns and offer perks that were previously overlooked, but by then, it’s frequently a last-ditch effort.

    These late-stage actions have their place, but the decision to stay or leave is ultimately driven by the leadership people experience every day. Employees stay when they are led well, when they are hired into teams that work, when they trust the tone and consistency of their leaders and when what the company says matches what they live.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Bidhan Baruah

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  • I Blew an Audition with Robert De Niro — But the Surprising Lesson Now Helps Me Crush Every High-Stakes Moment | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I’ll never forget the moment I got the call: an audition for a movie with Robert De Niro.

    My brain short-circuited as soon as I heard his name. De Niro. The Godfather. Heat. Goodfellas. How could I not get distracted?

    As the big day drew near, I spiraled. This wasn’t just another audition. This was the audition.

    • What if this is my big break? What if I blow it?
    • What should I wear? Do I look the part?
    • What if I forget my lines? What if I forget how to speak?
    • Maybe I’m not ready. Maybe I’m not good enough.
    • But what if I am?

    The pressure was electric. Hope and fear did a wild dance in my chest and no matter how hard I tried, my imagination kept racing ahead.

    This was the moment that could change the trajectory of my life and career — and I blew it.

    But the lessons I took from that failed audition turned out to be more valuable than any role. They completely reframed how I walk into a room, command a stage and coach others to show up with presence and power in their own high-stakes moments.

    Here’s what that moment taught me — and how you can use it to pitch, present or perform with confidence and clarity.

    Related: 10 Ways to Build Your Entrepreneurial Confidence

    1. Mindset shapes everything

    My first mistake happened before I even entered the room. In my head, the stakes were massive: This is life-changing. Don’t mess this up. You have to nail it.

    I had already lost. I wasn’t grounded or focused. I was spiraling. What I didn’t know then — but now teach every client — is this: your mindset is your foundation. Walk into any room thinking, I’ve earned this. That shift alone changes how you speak and how others respond.

    2. Focus on the moment, not the outcome

    The second I started fantasizing about starring in a De Niro film, I stopped being present. I was thinking about my future, not the two pages of script in front of me.

    When you obsess over the outcome — the deal, the yes, the applause — you miss the only thing that matters: this moment. Ask yourself: What does this person need from me right now? Then deliver.

    3. Take it one step at a time

    I was so focused on the future, I skipped the first step: the first impression.

    In auditions, pitches and presentations, there’s no warm-up act. The first 10 seconds — how you walk in, how you greet, how you connect — set the tone for everything else. You don’t always get a second chance. Nail the first one.

    4. Walk in like you belong

    I came in with what I now call “please pick me” energy. Instead of owning the space, I shrank into it — grateful but almost apologetic for being there. Gratitude is powerful. But not when it makes you small.

    If you were invited into the room, you’re there for a reason. Don’t ask for permission to take up space. Stand in your value.

    5. Stop trying to impress — start trying to connect

    I overperformed. I tried so hard to be impressive that I tripped over my words and cluttered my delivery. More isn’t better. It’s just more.

    What makes your message land is simplicity, emotional truth and connection. Ask: If this were my last chance to speak, what do I want them to feel?

    6. Prepare like a performer

    I knew my lines. But I didn’t rehearse. I didn’t ground myself or prepare my body for the moment. Clients often tell me they’ve “practiced” — but what they really mean is they edited their slides or memorized content.

    But presence is physical. Stand up. Breathe. Visualize the room. Your voice, posture, and energy are part of your message. Rehearse with them, not around them.

    Related: How to Turn Self-Doubt Into Success and Build Your Confidence in 3 Steps

    7. Learn to reset in real time

    I knew it wasn’t going well, but I didn’t know how to recover. I was stuck in my head. Now, I teach people to build an internal reset button. A breath. A pause. A shift in stance. Anything that brings you back to center.

    Things go off-script all the time. Power doesn’t come from being flawless. It comes from knowing how to find your footing again.

    8. Don’t stay stuck in the past

    The car ride home was brutal. I replayed the audition on a loop — every fumble, every flub. Reflection is important. But wallowing isn’t. Take the lesson. Leave the rest.

    You might never audition for a De Niro film, but you will have high-stakes moments — on a stage, in a boardroom, across from someone who could change the trajectory of your business or life.

    When you get there, remember: the secret to owning the room isn’t being perfect. It’s being present, prepared and fully yourself.

    That’s what people remember. That’s what wins the room.

    I’ll never forget the moment I got the call: an audition for a movie with Robert De Niro.

    My brain short-circuited as soon as I heard his name. De Niro. The Godfather. Heat. Goodfellas. How could I not get distracted?

    As the big day drew near, I spiraled. This wasn’t just another audition. This was the audition.

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    LaQuita Cleare

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  • My Business Hit $1 Million — Then a $46,000 Mistake Exposed the Biggest Bottleneck to Explosive Growth | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I’ll never forget the day I realized I couldn’t do it all anymore.

    My business had just crossed the million-dollar mark, but I was still trying to handle everything myself — coaching clients, selling, leading my team and running the accounting. Then, one day, I discovered I’d accidentally overcharged our biggest client $46,000 over nine months because I’d set up auto-pay and never double-checked it.

    The wave of panic that hit me was overwhelming. It was one of the worst moments of my professional life. I immediately owned the mistake, apologized and worked out a plan to credit the money back over six months. Thankfully, the client was incredibly gracious. But in that moment, I knew something had to change — I had to stop trying to do everything and start leading like a CEO.

    Related: 10 Growth Strategies Every Business Owner Should Know

    Stop doing — start leading

    When you launch a business, you wear every hat. You create the product, send invoices, post on social media and answer every email. That scrappy hustle is necessary to get off the ground — but it won’t get you to the next level.

    Scaling means an identity shift. You have to stop being the “doer” and become the delegater. Instead of asking, “How can I do this?” start asking, “Who can do this better than I can?”

    This is easier said than done. But holding onto control keeps you stuck. You’ll stay buried in day-to-day tasks instead of focusing on big-picture moves that grow your business.

    For me, stepping into the CEO role meant redefining leadership on my own terms. I didn’t want to follow a corporate playbook written by men. I wanted to lead in a way that aligned with my values and strengths — building flexibility into my schedule, doubling down on coaching and sales (my superpowers) and empowering my team to own the rest.

    Build the right team — and trust them

    Hiring an assistant to manage my schedule, emails and admin was one of the smartest moves I made. It freed up hours I could now spend coaching clients and bringing in new business.

    Delegating is scary. You worry they won’t do it as well as you can. Sometimes, that’s true. But growth only happens when you give others space to learn. If they stumble, you help them recover — and they get stronger. That’s leadership.

    Ask yourself: What are your superpowers? Are you a sales rockstar? A client relationship builder? Then be honest: How much of your time is lost in tasks that drain you — digging out of your inbox, chasing invoices?

    If those tasks pull you away from your strengths, it’s time to delegate. When you operate in your zone of genius and let others handle the rest, your business will finally grow the way it’s meant to.

    As your team grows, get to know them as people. We have every team member take the Enneagram test to understand communication styles and personalities. It’s taught me the power of listening and meeting people where they are.

    Create systems that set you free

    If your business lives only in your head, you can’t scale. Every process — client onboarding, social media posting, monthly reporting — needs to be documented so someone else can follow it.

    At our company, we use Asana for task management and Slack for communication. Everyone knows the flow, and it keeps us aligned.

    When I sell a client, I immediately hand them off to our onboarding team. Why? Because I know I’m the worst at follow-up. I know my strengths—and where I tend to get in my own way.

    We use Stripe for payments and Go High Level for email automations. These simple systems keep us running like a well-oiled machine.

    Related: Most Entrepreneurs Fail Because They Ignore These 3 Business Stages

    Think like a CEO

    If your calendar is full of urgent tasks, there’s no time for strategic thinking. But that’s exactly where CEOs live.

    Everyone on my team works from home on Fridays. I use that day to strategize and focus on the future. Where are we headed? Who do we need to become to get there? I take walks, listen to industry podcasts, and brainstorm new ideas.

    I also use this time to vet opportunities. It’s tempting to say yes to everything, especially early on. But now, before I commit, I ask: Is this worth my time? Does it align with our vision? Will it deliver a real return on investment?

    You belong in the CEO seat

    For too long, I thought being a great business owner meant doing everything myself. But real growth started when I stepped into the CEO seat — hiring for my weaknesses, trusting my team and making decisions from a long-term perspective.

    You don’t have to run your business like anyone else. Define what leadership means for you. Build a business that supports your strengths—and let go of what’s holding you back.

    You didn’t start your business to stay small. So take your CEO seat… you’ve earned it.

    I’ll never forget the day I realized I couldn’t do it all anymore.

    My business had just crossed the million-dollar mark, but I was still trying to handle everything myself — coaching clients, selling, leading my team and running the accounting. Then, one day, I discovered I’d accidentally overcharged our biggest client $46,000 over nine months because I’d set up auto-pay and never double-checked it.

    The wave of panic that hit me was overwhelming. It was one of the worst moments of my professional life. I immediately owned the mistake, apologized and worked out a plan to credit the money back over six months. Thankfully, the client was incredibly gracious. But in that moment, I knew something had to change — I had to stop trying to do everything and start leading like a CEO.

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    Deedra Determan

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  • Why Content, Not AI, Will Decide Who Wins in Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    AI is not transforming businesses. Content is. AI simply accelerates the impact — for better or worse.

    That’s why content strategy can no longer be delegated down or siloed away. It belongs in the C-suite, where it can be aligned with vision, risk and value creation. Here’s what that looks like in practice.

    1. Content is the engine, AI is the accelerator

    Executives often think of AI as the change agent. But AI is only as good as the content it runs on. Whether powering a chatbot, a decision engine or a customer experience, AI magnifies the strengths — and flaws — of your content ecosystem.

    In one audit with a global enterprise, we tested a generative AI support assistant. Instead of delivering answers from the official knowledge base, it confidently cited outdated PDFs buried in an unmanaged folder. AI didn’t invent the problem — it amplified it.

    Leaders must understand: the real transformation happens when AI accelerates well-governed, accurate and consistent content. Without that foundation, AI only scales chaos.

    2. Every department runs on content

    Content is not just copy, images or video. Content is the substance of marketing, sales, product, support, and customer experience. And content is policy in HR, compliance in legal, onboarding in operations, disclosures in finance, and much more.

    Take Pfizer’s experience during the pandemic. Their challenge wasn’t simply producing more vaccine to support going to market — it was ensuring every department, from medical to regulatory to communications, worked from a unified content system. That cross-functional alignment enabled them to deliver accurate, trusted information on a global scale.

    That’s the level of integration AI now demands. And it requires leadership from the very top.

    Related: Adapt Your C-Suite for the Digital Era In 3 Steps

    3. Maturity determines whether AI helps or hurts

    Our research across 200,000+ content effectiveness assessments and our study of content operations with nearly 1000 professionals and leaders show a clear pattern: organizations with mature content operations adopt AI faster, with fewer failures.

    But 58% of organizations still operate with low content maturity. Poorly defined workflows. Little governance. Few metrics. In an AI-accelerated world, that’s not just inefficient — it’s a strategic risk.

    Just as cybersecurity and data privacy moved onto the C-suite agenda, so must content maturity. Without it, AI investments will stall — or backfire.

    4. Content is an intangible asset

    Boards increasingly view intangibles — brand equity, trust, intellectual capital — as drivers of corporate value. Content is the connective tissue for all three.

    Annual reports, investor communications and brand valuations already reflect this shift. In fact, the quality and consistency of content often serve as a proxy for organizational discipline and credibility.

    Executives can’t afford to see content as overhead. It is an asset that requires investment, governance, and reporting at the highest level.

    Related: How to Develop a ‘C-Suite Mindset’ for Success, From 5 Leaders Who Have Done It

    5. AI risks are content risks

    When AI generates content, it doesn’t just “produce words.” It makes decisions: what to say, how to say it, which source to trust. That means governance challenges move from “content management” to content risk management.

    Consider the regulatory implications: a chatbot that cites outdated policy, or a sales assistant that generates a misleading claim. These aren’t technical glitches — they’re governance failures.

    AI forces the C-suite to answer hard questions:

    • Who owns the accuracy of AI output?
    • How do we enforce compliance at scale?
    • What’s our escalation path when AI gets it wrong?

    These are executive questions, not operational ones.

    6. From AI experiments to content-driven transformation

    Too many organizations frame AI adoption as an innovation. But the real transformation happens when AI accelerates a disciplined, cross-functional content system.

    That system connects three pillars:

    • Content intelligence → using analytics, audits, and user feedback
    • Content operations → workflows, governance, and standards
    • AI enablement → tools that amplify the first two

    AI without those foundations is a shiny demo. AI with them is a force multiplier.

    The takeway

    AI is not the transformation. Content is. AI only accelerates its impact.

    For executives, that’s both risk and opportunity. The companies that win will not be those who rush to deploy AI pilots, but those who recognize content as infrastructure — governed, measured, and led at the top.

    As I argue in The Content Advantage, content isn’t a side project. It’s a potential strategic advantage. In the age of AI, it’s also a C-level responsibility.

    AI is not transforming businesses. Content is. AI simply accelerates the impact — for better or worse.

    That’s why content strategy can no longer be delegated down or siloed away. It belongs in the C-suite, where it can be aligned with vision, risk and value creation. Here’s what that looks like in practice.

    1. Content is the engine, AI is the accelerator

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    Colleen Jones

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  • 8 Powerful Lessons from Robert Herjavec at Entrepreneur Level Up That Every Founder Needs to Hear | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    At the recent Entrepreneur Level Up Conference, entrepreneurs from across the country gathered to gain strategies, inspiration and practical insights from a lineup of well-known successful entrepreneurs. I was honored to host the conference and partner with Entrepreneur.

    One of the headliners, Robert Herjavec — investor, entrepreneur and star of Shark Tank — delivered a keynote packed with wisdom for founders navigating today’s unpredictable business landscape.

    Herjavec’s insights were not abstract theories. They were hard-earned lessons forged in the trenches of entrepreneurship — lessons that spoke directly to the challenges and aspirations of the audience.

    Here’s a breakdown of his most impactful takeaways.

    Related: Want to Be a Better Leader? Show Employees You Care.

    1. Every answer opens a door to opportunity

    Herjavec emphasized that opportunities rarely arrive neatly packaged. They often hide in conversations, questions or unexpected feedback.

    “Every answer opens a door to opportunity,” he said.

    The message was clear: curiosity is a growth engine. Entrepreneurs who remain curious — asking questions and seeking insights — often discover pathways others overlook. Instead of dismissing a “no” or a difficult response, Herjavec urged attendees to look for the opportunity behind it. Sometimes, the follow-up question or the willingness to listen more deeply is what transforms rejection into possibility.

    2. Evolution, not revolution

    The myth of entrepreneurship often celebrates the “big idea” that transforms an industry overnight. But Herjavec reminded the audience that this is rarely the case.

    “Most businesses evolve — they’re rarely revolutions.”

    He explained that while breakthrough innovations capture headlines, the majority of sustainable businesses are built on incremental improvements, better execution and adapting existing ideas to new markets.

    For entrepreneurs, this means it’s okay if your business doesn’t feel revolutionary from day one. What matters is staying committed to evolving, improving and listening to the market.

    3. Adaptability is non-negotiable

    If there was a central theme in Herjavec’s talk, it was adaptability. He described winning businesses as those that thrive on adaptability — not just to survive shocks, but to seize growth in changing conditions.

    “When knocked down, resilience plus adaptability equals survival.”

    He acknowledged that setbacks are inevitable in entrepreneurship. The real test isn’t whether you’ll face challenges, but how you respond to them. Entrepreneurs who can adapt — whether by shifting strategy, reinventing a product or rethinking how they serve customers — are the ones who endure.

    4. The founder sets the tone

    Herjavec didn’t shy away from a sobering reality: when businesses struggle, the root cause often lies with leadership.

    “Show me a business in trouble, and I’ll show you a founder who has lost their way.”

    He explained that when leaders lose focus, passion or clarity, the organization inevitably follows. A founder’s vision and energy cascade down into the culture, decision-making and execution. If leaders drift, so does the company.

    For entrepreneurs, this is a call to self-reflection. Protect your clarity of purpose. Revisit why you started. And remember that your team looks to you not just for direction, but for inspiration.

    5. Success is never accidental

    While luck can play a role in any journey, Herjavec stressed that sustainable success is never accidental.

    Behind every thriving business is intentionality — clear strategy, deliberate choices and consistent effort. He encouraged entrepreneurs to resist the temptation of shortcuts and quick wins, instead focusing on building systems and cultures that create lasting value.

    This doesn’t mean every decision will be perfect, but it does mean success comes to those who plan, prepare and execute with purpose.

    Related: 5 Strategies for Leaders to Future-Proof Their Workforce

    6. Rethinking sales

    As an entrepreneur who built and scaled a successful cybersecurity firm before becoming a television investor, Herjavec has lived through countless sales conversations. His perspective on sales was refreshingly straightforward.

    “Sales equals uncovering client needs plus communicating how you meet them.”

    He stressed that sales isn’t about pushing a product, talking endlessly or forcing a solution. It’s about understanding — truly listening to what clients need — and then clearly showing how your business delivers value.

    Equally important, he warned against the temptation to oversell.

    “Don’t oversell. Selling should feel natural: Am I providing value?”

    In Herjavec’s view, sales is not about persuasion, but about alignment. When entrepreneurs shift their mindset from “closing deals” to “creating value,” selling becomes easier, more authentic and ultimately more successful.

    7. Resilience is the entrepreneur’s superpower

    Beyond adaptability, Herjavec spoke passionately about resilience. Entrepreneurship, he reminded the audience, is a marathon, not a sprint. The journey is filled with failures, rejections and setbacks that would crush many people.

    But successful entrepreneurs are defined not by how often they fall, but by how quickly and effectively they get back up. Resilience isn’t just about surviving adversity — it’s about using it as fuel to keep moving forward.

    8. Putting it all together

    When woven together, Herjavec’s insights form a practical framework for entrepreneurs:

    • Stay curious. Every question or answer could unlock a new path.
    • Focus on evolution. Businesses rarely transform the world overnight; they grow through steady improvement.
    • Prioritize adaptability. Resilience plus the ability to adapt equals survival.
    • Lead with clarity. A founder’s vision shapes the trajectory of the business.
    • Be intentional. Success is the product of strategy, not accident.
    • Sell by serving. Sales is about listening, uncovering needs and providing genuine value.
    • Build resilience. Setbacks aren’t the end; they’re the training ground for growth.

    For the entrepreneurs in the audience, these weren’t just abstract principles. They were reminders that the entrepreneurial journey — while hard — is navigable with the right mindset and tools.

    Conclusion: The path forward

    Robert Herjavec’s keynote at the Entrepreneur Level Up Conference reinforced a timeless truth: entrepreneurship is not just about great ideas, but about great execution, resilience and human connection.

    His words served as both a challenge and an encouragement. The challenge: entrepreneurs must remain vigilant, adaptable and intentional in their leadership. The encouragement: success is within reach for those willing to evolve, listen and persist.

    For every founder wondering how to navigate uncertainty, Herjavec’s playbook is simple but powerful: stay curious, adapt relentlessly, lead with clarity and always create value.

    At the end of the day, business isn’t about luck or shortcuts — it’s about resilience, adaptability and the courage to keep showing up

    Don’t miss out next year — Click here to add your name to the Level Up waitlist and secure early access to tickets & updates.

    Ramon Ray

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  • 4 Moves Every New Leader Must Make to Earn Their Seat at the Table | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    You made it. After years of building, optimizing and scaling to the nth degree, you’ve earned a seat at the table in the C-suite. Not just a C-suite title, still reporting to another executive who makes the real decisions; you are actually in the “situation room.” You bring a deep understanding of the technology that powers your business. You celebrate. You update your LinkedIn. Then day one arrives.

    And you realize something: People are a bit skeptical of you, and it isn’t just the people below you. People above you, your peers and the investors all seem to have a certain take on you.

    You learn quickly that a title alone doesn’t build trust. Your technical brilliance doesn’t move your team, your peers and your executive counterparts. They’re looking for leadership that values business outcomes rather than just technical best practices. This is why you’re the CTO/CIO, not the IT person.

    In an article he co-authored, Harvard Business School professor Boris Groysberg said, “Technical skills are merely a starting point, the bare minimum. Requirements for all the C-level jobs have shifted toward business acumen and ‘softer’ leadership skills.” This next stage is about blending driving value with your expertise, rather than just explaining how things work.

    Let’s go over some of the roles you need to fill and milestones you need to hit in your first year on the job.

    Related: I’ve Managed 260 Employees — Here’s How to Tell If Your Leadership Style Is Actually Working

    Day one: Everyone is going to lie to you (unintentionally)

    On day one, you’ll ask questions and hear confident answers. But most of them will be incomplete and even sometimes completely inaccurate, but hold your judgment initially.

    It’s not deception. It’s diffusion. In any organization of scale, no single person holds the full picture. Documentation is outdated. Systems are interconnected in convoluted and undocumented ways. History is buried in inboxes and hallway conversations. Late-night crises solved by sleepless IT staff have gotten the company back up by morning, but only by a patchwork that makes little sense.

    The instinct, especially as a first-time leader, is to clean house. To draw hard lines between what’s broken and what’s working properly and who’s to blame. Trust me, resist that.

    Why? Because if you say, “This is all bunk, we’re starting over,” or we are in the mess because the last guard was incompetent, you’re not leading; you are actively setting yourself up for the same demise. As The Who once sang, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”

    Instead, don’t give in to the easy blame, trust that there is always context and be the empath in your organization. This means active listening without judgment, understanding how and why decisions were made before assuming they were wrong and recognizing that institutional constraints often explain more than incompetence ever could.

    When you seek to understand, not audit, you become the kind of leader people trust with the truth.

    Week one: Start speaking in business, not just systems

    The fastest way to lose trust in your first week is to speak in technical jargon and expect others to keep up. They won’t. And they shouldn’t have to.

    Your job now is to be the translator. That means reframing technology conversations into business impact.

    Saying, “We need $250,000 or we risk being hacked,” might be true. But it sounds like fear-based budgeting. Instead, say, “This investment reduces our incident response time and enables faster feature delivery, which directly affects our speed to market.”

    You’re not dumbing it down. You’re tuning it up. You’re connecting the dots between what the system needs and what the business values. That’s leadership.

    And if you can’t do that yet, now’s the time to learn.

    Quarter one: Deliver value that ripples across departments

    You don’t need a moonshot in your first 90 days. However, you do need a win, one that demonstrates your understanding of how the business operates, not just how the tech stacks up.

    Pick a persistent pain point that cuts across teams. Fix a bottleneck in onboarding. Streamline reporting. Solve something people have silently suffered through.

    This is where the operator shows up, a role that combines execution with empathy. You’re proving that your leadership isn’t just smart. It’s useful, visible and repeatable.

    And just as important: make sure the win isn’t just yours. Highlight the teammates who made it possible. Trust builds faster when people see your leadership as expansive, not self-serving.

    Year one: Don’t demand the seat — earn it

    There’s a common refrain among technical leaders: “We deserve more authority.” You want to report to the CEO. You want a louder voice in strategy. You want influence.

    If you want to be at the table, learn how that table works. Understand margin pressures. Know what drives your CFO’s decisions. Learn how compliance constraints shape your CMO’s roadmap. Understand how product timelines interact with hiring cycles.

    A real executive doesn’t just ask for influence. They wield it responsibly, cross-functionally, and with context.

    Related: Want to Be a Better Leader? Show Employees You Care.

    Create a space where tech leaders can thrive

    If you’re already in the C-suite, part of your responsibility is to make sure your technical leaders gain buy-in and succeed.

    That doesn’t mean coddling. It means creating clarity.

    • Invite them early. Don’t bring your CTO in at the end of a strategy session to “weigh in.” Bring them in when the goals are still being shaped.
    • Set expectations. Don’t just ask for deliverables. Ask for insight. Ask them to explain how tech can enable outcomes, not just avoid outages.
    • Eliminate the silo. Technology touches every department. The org chart should reflect that.
    • Reward translation. The best CTOs turn complexity into clarity. They make everyone around them smarter. That’s the leadership skill we should be measuring.

    When technical leaders fail, it’s rarely a failure of intelligence. It’s a failure of integration.

    If you’re seated in the “big chair,” you can’t expect people to intuit where they need to go. You need to build the bridge. You have to make everyone around you smarter, more capable, and more confident in their decisions because you’re part of the conversation.

    That’s what makes you trusted. And that’s what makes you dangerous — in the best way.

    You made it. After years of building, optimizing and scaling to the nth degree, you’ve earned a seat at the table in the C-suite. Not just a C-suite title, still reporting to another executive who makes the real decisions; you are actually in the “situation room.” You bring a deep understanding of the technology that powers your business. You celebrate. You update your LinkedIn. Then day one arrives.

    And you realize something: People are a bit skeptical of you, and it isn’t just the people below you. People above you, your peers and the investors all seem to have a certain take on you.

    You learn quickly that a title alone doesn’t build trust. Your technical brilliance doesn’t move your team, your peers and your executive counterparts. They’re looking for leadership that values business outcomes rather than just technical best practices. This is why you’re the CTO/CIO, not the IT person.

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    Charles Sims

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  • The Overlooked Leadership Trait That’s Driving Big Results | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Despite all the talk about strategy, innovation and growth, one of the most undervalued assets in modern leadership is something deceptively simple: presence.

    Not stage presence. Not personal branding. But the steady, intentional presence of a leader who knows how to show up. Especially when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable or uncertain. In today’s world of constant disruption, remote work, geopolitical shifts and cultural change, presence has become a strategic differentiator. And yet, we rarely talk about it.

    As the CEO of BGN, a global energy company operating in complex, volatile markets, I’ve seen firsthand how a leader’s presence has an outsized impact on business outcomes. How we show up for our teams, clients and partners is far more about consistency than sheer charisma.

    Related: This One Overlooked Habit Could Transform How You Lead, Connect and Grow Your Business

    Why presence matters more than perfection

    Leaders often feel pressure to have the right answer, the perfect plan, the flawless execution. But in high-stakes environments, people aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for stability. They want to know someone is paying attention, making decisions and staying engaged, even when the path forward isn’t clear.

    That’s what presence delivers: It signals reliability in the face of chaos. It builds trust when trust is hard to come by. And it anchors teams through uncertainty.

    In our industry, technical expertise may get you in the room, but genuine presence keeps the deal alive. It’s what allows you to be called upon when things go wrong without fear of being labeled foolish. It’s what gives your team the confidence to act without second-guessing. It’s the reason people stay, especially in highly demanding and stressful sectors.

    The myth of the distant leader

    The old-school leadership model glorified distance. Leaders would once hide behind a corner office, a closed door, and rely on an immovably rigid chain of command to gain respect. But the world has changed, and that model doesn’t work anymore. Leaders today are expected to be accessible without being overbearing, present without micromanaging, and available without losing sight of the broader company mission.

    That balancing act takes intention. It means being deliberate about how and where you spend your time. It means having the discipline to stay visible when it would be easier to retreat behind data, dashboards or delegation.

    For BGN, for example, presence takes the shape of physically showing up in new markets instead of relying on intermediaries from a distance. I must be prepared, and am even honored, to answer tough questions in open forums — even if I don’t have all the answers. This also means taking the time for real conversations with clients, port workers, technicians and new hires. Not just with the executive circle.

    Related: This Overlooked Leadership Skill Will Help You Build Trust, Influence Teams and Thrive Under Pressure. Here’s How to Develop It.

    Presence is especially powerful for female leaders

    For women in leadership, presence is often misunderstood. We’re told to “speak up more,” “take up space” and “command the room.” But authentic presence, as we’ve learned, is less about performance than it is about being grounded in our values, our priorities and our responsibilities.

    When women leaders show up with clarity and calm, it disrupts expectations in a good way — especially in spaces in which we are underrepresented. It changes the energy and helps to refocus attention on the mission, vision and broader impact of a company’s work.

    And in many environments, it opens the door for others to lead differently, too, with more empathy, more nuance and more depth.

    How to cultivate real presence

    Like most things in life, presence is a practice and habit refined over time. Like any practice, it requires intentional effort. Over time, I learned that there are a few simple ways to do this:

    • Be available when it matters most. Don’t just show up for the good times — show up for the setbacks.

    • Listen longer than you speak, especially when tensions run high. Presence is about making space for others.

    • Respond, don’t react. People notice when you stay composed under pressure. It creates psychological safety for them and the wider group.

    • Be consistent. In your values, your tone and your follow-through. Unpredictable leaders, while arguably effective in the short term, lose trust and confidence in the long term.

    • Invest your time in people. That’s where loyalty, insight and innovation come from.

    Related: 5 Core Strategies for Cultivating Executive Presence

    In a world where chasing speed, scale and visibility seem primary goals, presence may feel slow or soft by comparison. But don’t underestimate its power. Presence is what steadies a company during transitions. It’s what keeps clients from walking away during conflict. It’s what gives teams the courage to act boldly because they know their leader is right there with them.

    When leadership is grounded in presence and substance, not ego, that’s when the real work gets done. If powerful and long-lasting relationships are the engine to strong business, then presence is the fuel.

    Despite all the talk about strategy, innovation and growth, one of the most undervalued assets in modern leadership is something deceptively simple: presence.

    Not stage presence. Not personal branding. But the steady, intentional presence of a leader who knows how to show up. Especially when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable or uncertain. In today’s world of constant disruption, remote work, geopolitical shifts and cultural change, presence has become a strategic differentiator. And yet, we rarely talk about it.

    As the CEO of BGN, a global energy company operating in complex, volatile markets, I’ve seen firsthand how a leader’s presence has an outsized impact on business outcomes. How we show up for our teams, clients and partners is far more about consistency than sheer charisma.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Rüya Bayegan

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  • 8 Critical Things Entrepreneurs Often Overlook When Starting a Company | Entrepreneur

    8 Critical Things Entrepreneurs Often Overlook When Starting a Company | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The very definition of entrepreneurship implies many twists and turns. Founders start companies based on an idea, form a business plan around what they believe that concept’s future to be, press their foot down on the gas pedal and off they go. Along the journey, founders are forced to make many quick but impactful decisions with limited resources and foggy knowledge about how their outcomes will play out. Essentially, they are building the base of a house, having no idea what its roof will eventually look like.

    Many of these early-stage decisions are foundational and become even more significant as the company itself matures. Due to arbitrary and self-imposed goals and timelines, founders may overlook critical components to building a lasting business. Haste can be met with regret later on in the company lifecycle, costing time, human and financial resources and, potentially, the company. In fact, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 10% of startups fail within the first year. However, that percentage increases over time, with an eventual long-term failure rate of 90%. Ultimately, the choices we make today could take years to manifest, and the results could prove detrimental.

    Related: I Made These 3 Big Mistakes When Starting a Business — Here’s What I Learned From Them

    Here are eight critical actions that founders overlook when starting their companies:

    1. Properly forming their company under the right structure

    There are multiple structures that companies can take early on, including an LLC, C-Corp and S-Corp. Each has its own advantages and limitations, and it is important that founders match their company structure with their financing and tax goals. For example, an LLC would be a structure amenable to a convertible note and consisting of private investors. To properly determine the best structure for their enterprise, founders should outline their investment strategy and consult an attorney versed in company formation.

    2. Protecting their IP

    Intellectual property should be protected at the onset of company formation and certainly before a product is launched in market. Companies should solicit an IP attorney to trademark the company and product names, logo designs and any defensible product designs. In addition, especially for technology companies, patents should be filed prior to product launch. While the costs may seem expensive, especially early on, IP can end up being the primary source of value for a company later on.

    3. Creating a proper board of advisors

    While the foundation stage may seem premature to acquire a board of advisors, it could actually prove advantageous and even critical. The reality is founders alone cannot cover all of the skill sets and experience bases needed to ensure a positive future outcome. Even at the earliest funding stages, “team” is a core component to investors betting on a company’s success. Advisors can fill in the skill gaps that are initially missing and serve as an important determinant of an investor’s choice to invest. Therefore, founders should assess their teams’ competencies and deficiencies and officially onboard advisors to fill in those experiences/skill gaps.

    1. Determining the right financing strategy. It’s commonly assumed that venture capital is the holy grail of investment and that the most successful companies build themselves by securing VC money. VC money is great for certain companies, but there are also restrictions — once a company secures VC money, it then has external entities owning a good portion of its equity, and those entities subsequently have a strong say in the decision-making process going forward. Some companies may want to grow at a different pace than VCs would demand, resulting in a mismatch. As a founder, it is important to properly identify how success is determined for the company — asking yourself what growth looks like and how much of the company you are willing to part with in the long term.
    2. Evaluating founding team dynamics and identifying the gaps. While advisors may fill in certain near-term skill gaps, the reality is they are not working full-time at the company. Therefore, it is important to identify current and future skill gaps among the founding/executive team, outline the roles that are needed to fill them and create a timeline to hire. Some may not be necessary until the next round of financing, and others may be immediate.
    3. Assessing the current macro environment. While a founder may have the most innovative idea on the planet, the current macroeconomic environment may not be amenable to supporting it. It is important to review the broader macro environment with regard to receptivity to your product or service and the environment in general. For example, the market may be ripe for an offering, but the funding environment as a whole may have dried up. A realistic assessment will enable a founder to create a more realistic growth plan.
    4. Paving their path to market. Founders can become so enamored with their product or service that they forget to assess how they will let others know about it. It is important for a new business to clearly identify its core customer target and its total addressable market to understand how much it will cost and how much time it will take to acquire those customers.
    5. Determining their long-term commitment/investment. Jeff Bezos stated, “All overnight success takes about 10 years.” This could not be more accurate. Entrepreneurs read the shiny social media accounts of the companies that immediately skyrocket and experience a rapid hockey stick growth curve and expect that success, but success takes time. So early on, founders need to assess their own personal time horizons and determine how long they are committed to their endeavors. Part of this may be their own personal commitment, especially if they have a family. Part of it may be financial —as a founder, knowing your personal financial runway is critical. Hiring an outside executive coach and even a therapist can help to better navigate these life waters.

    Related: Don’t Overlook This Crucial Business Function If You Want Your Startup to Succeed

    John Wooden, coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team, who is considered the greatest coach in NCAA history, taught his players how to put their shoes and socks on in a very specific manner. When asked why, he stated, “The little things matter. All I need is one little wrinkle in one sock to put a blister on one foot and it could ruin my whole season.” Winning the entrepreneurship game starts with intention, founders doing everything they can to purposefully put themselves in the best position for success. Beyond that comes a bit of luck and a lot of fortitude, but it starts with proper preparation.

    Kalon Gutierrez

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  • Introvert Warren Buffett Reveals Secret to Public Speaking | Entrepreneur

    Introvert Warren Buffett Reveals Secret to Public Speaking | Entrepreneur

    Most people (56.8%) around the world identify as introverts, according to a 2020 study from The Myers-Briggs Company. Those with an introverted personality are often reflective and self-aware, prefer to write rather than speak and feel tired after being in a crowd.

    Naturally, many introverts aren’t big fans of public speaking. Addressing an audience might be an inevitable part of professional life, but the average introvert probably isn’t clamoring to get in front of a group.

    Related: I Work With Warren Buffett. He’s Probably the Smartest Person in the World — Here’s the Best Advice He’s Given Me.

    Even the most successful business leaders in the world aren’t immune to stage fright.

    Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old billionaire chairman and CEO of conglomerate holding company Berkshire Hathaway, considers himself an introvert. In his biography The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder, he admits that speaking in front of a crowd used to make him physically ill.

    Image Credit: Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images. Warren Buffett.

    “I was terrified of public speaking,” Buffett says. “You can’t believe what I was like if I had to give a talk. I was so terrified that I just couldn’t do it. I would throw up. In fact, I arranged my life so that I never had to get up in front of anybody.”

    Related: In Leadership, Introversion Is Underrated — and Warren Buffett and Bill Gates Share How They Use It to Their Advantage.

    After Buffett graduated from Columbia Business School, where he studied under investor Benjamin Graham, he returned to Omaha, Nebraska. There, he saw an advertisement for a public speaking course using the Dale Carnegie method.

    Buffett was familiar with Carnegie’s 1936 self-help book How to Win Friends & Influence People, and he’d even signed up for a Carnegie public speaking class in New York — before he backed out and stopped payment on the $100 check.

    Buffett decided to give the course another chance in Omaha.

    “I took a hundred bucks in cash and gave it to Wally Keenan, the instructor, and said, ‘Take it before I change my mind,’” he recalls in The Snowball.

    Related: 5 Mega-Successful Entrepreneurs Who Are Introverts

    In Keenan’s class at Omaha’s Rome Hotel, Buffett discovered the key to conquering his public speaking fears.

    “The way it works is that you learn to get out of yourself,” Buffett explains. “I mean, why should you be able to talk alone with somebody five minutes before and then freeze in front of a group? So they teach you the psychological tricks to overcome this. Some of it is just practice — just doing it and practicing.”

    Practicing under the same conditions in which you’ll speak or otherwise perform can help promote success in high-pressure situations, Sian Beilock, cognitive scientist and current president of Dartmouth College, told Entrepreneur in 2022.

    Related: Steve Jobs’ Public Speaking Power Moves Remain Just as Relevant Today, 13 Years After His Final Keynote at the Apple Developers Conference

    Additionally, it can help to take a step back as the event draws near, according to Beilock. Then, during the high-stakes moment, she suggests interpreting physiological responses positively; for example, consider sweaty palms or a racing heart signs of excitement rather than anxiety.

    “And it worked,” Buffett says of the psychological techniques he learned in his public speaking class many decades ago. “That’s the most important degree that I have.”

    Buffett‘s certification of completion for the Carnegie course, dated January 1952, hangs above the sofa in his office, according to Schroeder’s account.

    Related: I Spent a Day Living Like Billionaire Warren Buffett. Here’s What Happened.

    Now, Buffett stands in front of an audience of 40,000 at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting, where attendees line up hours before the event to listen to the Oracle of Omaha speak.

    Amanda Breen

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  • VP Exec’s Top Tips for Negotiating and Relationship-Building | Entrepreneur

    VP Exec’s Top Tips for Negotiating and Relationship-Building | Entrepreneur

    Karen Brodkin, co-head of William Morris Endeavor (WME) Sports and executive vice president at Endeavor, oversees the representation of some of the biggest names in sports, spanning the NFL, NBA, MLB, tennis, golf, soccer, Olympic and action sports, and more. She’s closed hundreds of deals with partners across every distribution platform over the course of her 20-plus-year career.

    Image Credit: Courtesy of WME Sports. Karen Brodkin.

    However, Brodkin’s path to her current position “wasn’t a straight line,” she tells Entrepreneur, but “a winding road.”

    Related: I’ve Negotiated High-Pressure, Multi-Million-Dollar Deals for Artists Like Bruno Mars and Enrique Iglesias — Here’s the Strategy That Always Helps Me Win

    Brodkin spent five years as an entertainment attorney at two Los Angeles-based firms before she joined FOX Sports Media Group, where she oversaw deals with the NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR and more as executive vice president of business and legal affairs.

    “When you push away from the table, both sides have to feel [that] they got enough.”

    Needless to say, Brodkin has learned a lot about the art of negotiation over the years — and has some time-tested tips for success.

    First, do your homework before the meeting. “When we are working with the client, whether it’s with the incumbent partner or when we’re going to market, we always come in prepared,” Brodkin says.

    Next, prioritize what you want to get out of the negotiation — and don’t forget to leave space for give and take. “I always say, ‘When you push away from the table, both sides have to feel [that] they got enough that they feel good about the deal,’” Brodkin explains.

    Related: The Art of Negotiation is Misunderstood. Here Are Some Lesser-Known Tactics I Use to Win.

    That also means leaving a “win at all costs mentality behind,” according to Brodkin.

    “We work with our clients to figure out what’s most important,” she adds. “And then you have to get into a back and forth with the other side where you have to be transparent: ‘This is what we really need. Tell me what you really need.’”

    Finally, don’t underestimate the power of building strong relationships.

    “I want to have a relationship with the other side of the table that was born before we were in the middle of this deal, where there’s trust, respect, transparency and, in the best case scenario, a friendship,” Brodkin says. “Sports is a relationship business. Some of these people have been in the business as long as I have, and they’re not going anywhere.”

    Related: How to Build and Sustain Deep, Meaningful Business Relationships (and Why It’s the Key to Long-Lasting Success)

    “I wake up in the morning thinking about the WME Sports business unit, and I go to bed thinking about it.”

    A commitment to fostering positive relationships also extends to Brodkin’s own team at WME Sports.

    “I think about [how to manage my team effectively] every bit as much as I do about the dealmaking side,” Brodkin says. “I’m not looking for kudos. I have no judgment for how anybody else at this company or other companies leads. That’s what works for me: I wake up in the morning thinking about the WME Sports business unit, and I go to bed thinking about it.”

    Brodkin strives to be an honest, accessible leader who isn’t afraid of hard conversations, keeps empathy at the fore and gets to know people on a personal level. She also aims to empower the members of her team.

    Related: Stop Lying to Your Team — And Yourself. Try Radical Honesty Instead.

    “I don’t try to micromanage,” Brodkin explains. “I just want them to know that I’m there to be their sounding board, their safety net, the person that advocates for what they need or for them personally. But I’m never going to know as much as they know about their business.”

    “We’re definitely open for business if other people want to hop on board.”

    Brodkin says she’s proud of the culture she’s helped build at WME Sports—and some days, she even feels “like the chief culture officer of WME Sports.” She notes that a strong culture benefits not only employees but also clients.

    Brodkin looks forward to expanding the WME Sports brand and seeing the organization’s young team members succeed.

    “We have an unbelievable bench of young agents,” Brodkin says. “We’re definitely open for business if other people want to hop on board. I’m excited about where we are and excited about where we’re going. I’m not done yet. We’re not done yet.”

    Amanda Breen

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  • 5 Ways Startup Founders Can Become Team Players and Grow Their Businesses | Entrepreneur

    5 Ways Startup Founders Can Become Team Players and Grow Their Businesses | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As a seasoned performance coach with over two decades of experience working with business owners, I have witnessed how frustrated many business owners are that their startup isn’t growing as quickly as it should or seems to have stagnated in its growth. One common factor that often stands out for such entrepreneurs is their lack of the attributes of team players.

    Your business can only grow to the extent that your abilities as a team player grow, and my experience has shown that cultivating the following five attributes can make you a team player who is well-positioned to see your business grow.

    1. Welcome and build on your team’s ideas

    As a business founder, you may have the burning desire to bring your vision for the business to reality, but business success will not entirely depend on you alone. You need input from your team, and their ideas can be the difference between mediocre business performance and successful steering of the business to higher levels.

    Create opportunities for team members to share their ideas. Brainstorming sessions, weekly meetings and problem-solving sessions can be fertile grounds to get input from the team. Evaluate the ideas generated and find ways to implement those that show the potential to advance the goals of the business.

    2. Coach your team

    Google did a study and found that the best managers and leaders have coaching skills. However, most people confuse coaching with mentoring. Coaching and mentoring are not the same. Coaching is about unlocking the potential in your team. Mastering coaching skills enables you to do that.

    As the founder, you may also have the expertise and experience that your team members lack, which means you’re more likely to mentor or “tell them” how to do it rather than coach them.

    Coaching builds confidence, empowers your team to take on more responsibility, improves problem-solving skills and builds loyalty. The more you coach your team, the more your business will operate as a team effort rather than a one-person show. You’ll not only have a high-performing team, but you’ll also have a high-value team. Double win!

    Related: Be a Mentor: 4 Simple Ways to Change a Life

    3. Adjust your pace to accommodate your team

    This is where the rubber hits the tarmac! Many founders have a burning desire to bring their dream to life “yesterday” and are extremely impatient when their team isn’t moving at the pace they’d like. At this point, you ask yourself two critical questions: Did I hire the right people? Do I consistently share my vision and mission so everyone is clear about the direction of the firm?

    I often tell clients that it may not be possible for their entire team to move at the same blistering pace that the founder is wired for, and it might be necessary for the founder to pump the brakes a little so the team can move at the same pace. This is a hard pill for many founders to swallow, but reminding them that they are not a one-person army allows them to be more accommodating and better able to foster teamwork in the business.

    I am not advocating for letting your employees set the pace of the company. If you hire the right people and coach them regularly, chances are that while they may not move at supersonic speed, they will follow your lead and move at an above-average pace.

    I always give this incident, which I witnessed while visiting a client’s restaurant for a follow-up session. The assistant manager was always pushing her direct reports to work at a blistering pace. The manager had cautioned the assistant to always give a particular employee their tasks in advance so they can accomplish them within a spread-out timeframe. This particular employee was known to be very thorough in anything they do, but if pushed to work at a pace greater than they could manage, they were more likely than not to do extremely shoddy work.

    The assistant manager neglected this important piece of information and one time asked that employee to chop some ingredients and kept hovering over the shoulder of the employee nudging them to work faster. Pushed beyond their limits, the employee nearly lost four fingers when, in a bid to work fast, they ended up accidentally cutting through those fingers. I rushed in with the manager when we heard horrified screams coming from the kitchen, and after the ambulance left with the injured employee, the manager called the assistant to a private corner and gently reminded them about the caution of not pushing that particular employee to work at a faster pace than they were capable of.

    The message? Sometimes, it is helpful to slow down a little so that you can move with the entire team.

    Related: Are You Hiring a ‘Team’ Player – or Someone Just Looking out for No.1?

    4. Share recognition for any successes attained

    Another important tip I give startup founders is that they can become team players who enjoy more than decent business growth on an ongoing basis by sharing recognition for the successes they attain. When you put your team at the center of all success, their motivation and loyalty grow, and they become invested in achieving the firm’s goals.

    Related: Which Do You Need: A Coach or a Consultant or a Trainer? Here’s How to Know.

    5. Consult the team frequently

    Make it a habit to consult your team members frequently. This can be when there are challenges that need to be fixed, when opportunities arise or when planning the next steps or direction of the business. Don’t be the founder who keeps their cards close to the chest and only issues instructions without involving their team.

    As you implement the tips above, you will notice that your team will galvanize around the organization’s goals and mission, and your company will be better positioned to weather any storm. Teams always find a way to win.

    Jairek Robbins

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  • What Every Entrepreneur Can Learn from NCAA Coach Dawn Staley’s Leadership Style | Entrepreneur

    What Every Entrepreneur Can Learn from NCAA Coach Dawn Staley’s Leadership Style | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As a South Carolina native and leader in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), I can affirmatively say NCAA coach Dawn Staley is no ordinary leader. From her time as an Olympic gold medal-winning basketball player to her role as a coach guiding the South Carolina Gamecocks to an undefeated 38-0 season, Staley has a lot to teach us about what it takes to be consistent and successful in a competitive arena.

    It’s easy to attribute Staley’s success as a former athlete and coach to “luck,” but it’s anything but. Staley has invested in DEI, leadership and mentorship for her team and herself — which I suspect have all contributed to her record-breaking wins throughout the years.

    Who is Dawn Staley?

    Dawn Staley is an American basketball coach and player who was inducted into the Hall of Fame. She’s played on all sides of the court as a three-time Olympic gold medalist and also as the head coach of a gold-medal-winning team. Because of her incredible track record, she’s currently (and rightfully so) the highest-paid Black coach in women’s basketball. But that’s not all she is.

    Related: Companies Are Deprioritizing DEI. Why They Shouldn’t and How to Recommit.

    Staley stands up for pay equity

    While many companies and organizations are divesting from DEI, others are doubling down and seeing great rewards. Knowing all too well the pay equity disparity between women’s and men’s basketball leagues, Staley has been a fearless advocate for pay equity for herself and her players. When negotiating her record-breaking contract, she had a lawyer present to ensure she got the fairest financial deal possible.

    Furthermore, after receiving her much-deserved financial due, she was generous enough to share the wealth. She’s reported to have sent all Black Division 1 coaches a piece of her net earnings from a prior championship to send the message that when one of us wins, we all win.

    Related: Why Paying Women An Equal Wage Helps—Not Hurts—Your Business

    Staley understands the power of mentorship

    Entrepreneurs from all walks of life have cited mentorship — whether given or received — as responsible for their current business success. Staley knows she needs her team as much as they need her, which requires mentorship. She’s always been a force on the court and a voice of reason and guidance for her team, passing along what she has learned for the benefit of everyone in her orbit.

    Staley has been clear about the symbiotic relationship she has with her players. Staley told an Oklahoma-based newspaper, “I don’t coach to win awards, I really don’t. I’m very, very satisfied with just being there for my players.” Having guided her team through multiple wins and walking beside them every step of the way, Staley continually proves that mentorship is an essential component of any leader’s and team’s success.

    Related: Managing a Black Woman? Here’s How to Become Her Success Partner and Ally.

    Staley knows the value of being present in every role — big or small

    From her days as a player to now being a nationally renowned coach, Staley has proven there is no role too big or small in which to serve. In the early stages of a business, most entrepreneurs know intimately how they must wear multiple hats for months and sometimes years in order to get the results they seek.

    Staley knows that juggling act very well. Supporting her teammates on the court is one role that requires consistency, cooperation and resilience. Coaching, on the other hand, has given her the tools to build trust, empower others and delegate. Whether she’s a teammate or a coach, she fully commits to the role and being all-hands-on-deck with her team has returned dividends.

    Staley knows how to build and rally a team toward a common goal

    While it seems like the perfect team fell into Staley’s lap, nothing could be farther from the truth. She fought to take a team with a fair track record and transform it into a solid and consistently competitive unit. This season, Staley even had to replace the entire starting lineup and was still able to guide them back to the semifinals. This wasn’t an accident. It was the result of establishing and fostering a foundation of good team building and trust.

    Staley chooses players who understand what it means to work hard for a common goal. When businesses hire team members, they often hire for “culture fit” and choose the applicant with the most impressive resume or academic credentials.

    However, what they often fail to examine is the upbringing and values that each new hire possesses. In the past, Staley has highlighted her philosophy of only recruiting players who respect their parents, indicating that if a player doesn’t respect their parents, they won’t respect their coach. Staley has strategically built a team of players whose values were aligned with building a relationship of trust and respect with their coach. As we can see, her selective choice has had positive ripple effects on her team’s performance and rapport.

    Related: Avoiding the Sea of Sameness: How Hiring for Culture Improves DEI

    Final thoughts

    The string of consistent wins enjoyed by the South Carolina Gamecocks is far from being an accident. Serving as a coach after having the experience as a player is a valuable advantage and puts Staley in a powerful position from which to lead others. It shows that Staley has been there and done that and knows the path to success because she first lived it as a player. In addition, her ability to put herself in her team’s shoes is a form of empathy, a key pillar in DEI. From this empathy, she was able to build trust after carefully selecting team members who had the values and resilience necessary to truly respect the game, their coach, their teammates, and themselves. Dawn Staley is an example of what powerful leadership looks like by advocating for herself and others to work towards DEI, resilience, and excellence.

    Nika White

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  • Change Is Hard — But This CEO and President Reveals How It Helped Him Build a Stronger Business and More Resilient Team | Entrepreneur

    Change Is Hard — But This CEO and President Reveals How It Helped Him Build a Stronger Business and More Resilient Team | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the past year, our company has evolved significantly, expanding our services and integrating new internal systems. It’s been a period of retraining and adaptation.

    Implementing a major change to a business used to happen once every five or ten years, but with advancements in artificial intelligence coupled with economic uncertainty and digital transformation, businesses are having to pivot and adapt much more frequently. Global spending on digital transformation is expected to hit $3.4 trillion by 2026, and 64% of organizations report needing to build new digital businesses to stay competitive in 2024 and beyond.

    We often hear entrepreneurs and business leaders talk about working “on” the business rather than “in” the business but understanding your company from the bottom up has significant benefits. Today, I am the president and CEO of my company, but throughout my career, I’ve worked in every area of my field, from the warehouse to driving a truck. Here’s how it’s given me an invaluable perspective when it comes to change management.

    Related: 3 Ways Change Leaders Prevent, Minimize and Manage (or Create) Resistance to Change

    Seek to understand workflows before you transform

    Earlier in my career, I worked for a company that hired outside consultants to revamp its operations to comply with new customs regulations. More than 75% of its employees at the time were frontline workers, and unfortunately, they weren’t consulted in the process.

    When it came time to roll out the new structure, to say the implementation was messy, is an understatement. Oversights led to significant storage fees and operations issues that caused projects to fall off track and employee morale to drop. In the end, the lack of internal consultation caused the company a lot of money and pain.

    When it comes to implementing any big change, it’s critical to involve the people working on the frontlines of your business. According to Beekeeper, employees on the front lines often face a disconnect with leadership, with only 23% feeling included in change-related decisions. This exclusion fuels resistance and disengagement, as 74% of employees believe leaders need to understand why people resist change to foster collaboration.

    By really grasping the day-to-day responsibilities of your frontline workers and understanding how the change will impact them, you’re more likely to get buy-in and internal advocacy and make necessary adjustments to the plan.

    I’ve seen too many businesses make the vital mistake of pushing down a change from top to bottom rather than consulting with their teams to get feedback on critical decisions. In these cases, it almost always leads to staff and client turnover, which has a spiraling effect on culture and morale.

    Related: Rapid Business Expansion Can Be a Good Thing — But It Comes With Challenges. Here’s How to Make This Growth Sustainable.

    Your frontline employees drive your bottom line

    More often than not, implementing a change in a business is an attempt to improve profit margins. However, too often, company leaders fail to understand how much of their bottom line is being driven by their entry-level workers. For example, a high turnover of entry-level staff reportedly costs Amazon $8 billion annually.

    To successfully implement a change, it’s crucial to have representation from every department in your organization involved in the discussions. This shouldn’t be limited to team leads and managers; it’s equally important to have representation from frontline employees involved.

    Among this mix, I personally like to include vocal naysayers—the team members who are known to influence the culture and not always in a positive way. This serves two purposes: the first is that sometimes the naysayers have valuable feedback that other team members are too coy to vocalize. The second is that if you can convince a vocal naysayer that a change is positive, they often become your best internal advocate.

    Double down on education and training

    I remember a time when we promoted a frontline employee into a leadership role. She wasn’t a frontrunner for the position. In fact, she had started her career being vocally critical of our operations, particularly of other departments.

    In the end, what won her the promotion was the leadership skills she developed through change management education and training. She embraced the training and ended up becoming a champion for the departments she once critiqued, committing to helping them improve and do things better.

    When we educate and train our teams on how to embrace and adopt change, we create stronger leaders. Research shows employees who receive proper training are more likely to stay with the company, directly impacting the bottom line through reduced turnover and increased productivity.

    This is true at any level. Anytime we host training at work, even if I’ve already gone through it, I try to make a point to attend. As leaders, we are often removed from the practical implications of what we ask of our teams. Attending company training can be a great reminder. It also shows your team you’re not above learning and that you’re going through the change, too.

    Change is hard. But when we develop the skills to prepare and adapt for it, we can build stronger businesses with more resilient teams. To do this effectively, it’s crucial for leaders to engage with team members at all levels. The insights and perspectives gained from consulting frontline employees are often what make or break a company.

    Mike Chisholm

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  • How I Discovered the Value of Imperfectionism and Made It My Team’s a Secret Weapon | Entrepreneur

    How I Discovered the Value of Imperfectionism and Made It My Team’s a Secret Weapon | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When my company launched a community feature for our customers a couple of years ago, we made some incorrect assumptions in our messaging that derailed the campaign’s success. But when our creativity didn’t land, instead of learning from our mistakes, we made an even bigger error: we abandoned our efforts altogether. The truth? We were perfectionists struggling to face a fairly public failure. But instead of iterating on our campaign to improve it, we let it fizzle out.

    They say perfection is the enemy of progress, and I’ve seen this play out both in my own career and with many entrepreneurs. No matter how genius an offering is, the pressure of getting everything just right can often delay — or completely derail — a launch.

    Perfectionism is a well-known enemy of productivity, the root cause of many psychological disorders and a common answer to the interview question, “What is your biggest weakness?” But while we recognize perfectionism as a barrier to progress (and I certainly have), why do so many creative and innovative people still fall into its trap?

    Perfectionism might not be a new hindrance, but it is on the rise – and not just with entrepreneurs. A culture of competitive individualism, amplified by social media, pressures all of us to be flawless and can seriously undermine our ability to succeed in business. In fact, it almost certainly guarantees failure.

    The reality is, we all need to be able to take risks — and fail — in order to improve our work. Embracing the value of imperfection is the only viable way to get there.

    Perfectionism can be downright damaging

    As a recovering perfectionist, I now understand that perfectionists are more than just uptight overachievers. They can obsess over meeting exceptionally high standards and unrealistic expectations. They can even be highly self-critical and fear criticism from others. And yet many go into their entrepreneurial journey by comparing themselves to those who have already hit it big, blind to any mistakes those role models made along the way.

    Nearly every entrepreneurial success story is built on the back of countless failures – and many entrepreneurs are famous for it. But I’ve witnessed personally how striving for perfection from the outset doesn’t lead to a successful offering. In fact, the results can be the opposite: no launch at all. Perfectionism often holds would-be entrepreneurs and creators back from sharing their unique genius with the world and getting a finished product out in the market. However, there are ways to overcome it. And I should know: I’m still working on overcoming it myself.

    Fail small, win big

    After the communities launch failure (which, fortunately, was a small one in the grand scheme of things), I learned an invaluable lesson: the best way to handle failure is by examining it, embracing it and using it to improve, not by hiding from it and pretending it didn’t happen.

    Nowadays, we approach our launches much differently – in phases that allow us to test the waters, get feedback from our customers, and iterate on our approach and messaging until it hits just right.

    Making mistakes is par for the course in business, but learning from them and correcting the course is the only way to turn them into a net positive. Many of the most successful creators go a step further and share their failures publicly. Patreon’s CEO Jack Conte calls it normalizing the duds, and his approach is pure storytelling genius: a balance of humility and humor that makes his failures feel like an actual work of art.

    Getting past perfectionism

    As a recovering perfectionist, I know that embracing imperfectionism is easier said than done. We’re all operating within a hyper-competitive and often unforgiving business climate where every move (especially wrong moves made publicly) can be ruthlessly analyzed and criticized. We’ve all seen the chilling effects cancel culture has on individuals and businesses that have made irreparable mistakes.

    Moving past perfectionism means intentionally taking calculated risks and baking blunders right into the development process. Here are a few strategies we use to make that process more palatable:

    • Connect with a community of peers: Sharing imperfect work is easier when those around us are doing it too. Getting connected to a community of entrepreneurs in trial-and-error mode is the best way to see that you’re not alone. In fact, by becoming an entrepreneur, you’re part of a group of people in the business of overcoming failure. Whether you find that group through a coworking space or a software-related community, look to others who can accept critical feedback and allow it to inform progress.
    • Adopt a coaching mindset: Reminding yourself that nobody’s perfect is helpful because even seasoned experts make mistakes. Redefining the way I perceive failure (and success) meant rebranding missteps as an opportunity to iterate. You can even rewire your brain to appreciate critical feedback for the gift it is.
    • Look beyond the launch: Product, campaign or company launches often create an intensity that brings out your best work, but leaning into them too much can lead to a letdown – especially if the results don’t meet your expectations. I often tell my team not to put too much creative energy into something that will likely need to change once it’s in market. Even if it’s flawed, I know we’ll learn something as soon as it goes live that will enable us to improve it.

    The truth is, we all have moments of uncertainty. But no matter how uncomfortable it feels to put your creative work out there for judgment, the reality is that people will judge it whether you think it’s perfect or not. Accept that fact, cut yourself some slack and don’t let the idea of perfection hold you back from sharing your unique genius. Done is better than perfect, after all.

    Christie Horsman

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  • 4 Soft Skills You Need to Run a Business | Entrepreneur

    4 Soft Skills You Need to Run a Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Pour through higher-ed or seminar business texts relating to the qualities of an effective leader, and phrases like “analytical prowess,” “restless inventiveness” and “strength of will” tend to creep center stage. In my experience, however, placing too much emphasis on these (to be sure, often admirable) qualities is in error. I’ve found that empathy, compassion and care make a much more significant impact on a company’s success — that practicing such “soft skills” when running my own businesses has allowed me to reach the level of success I occupy today.

    Such skills are broadly defined as ways of relating and collaborating with others, and effective communication and complex task completion relies on their deft application, so practicing them routinely in the workplace is invaluable. According to a study by LinkedIn, “92% of talent professionals say they matter as much or more than hard skills when they hire, and 80% say they’re increasingly important to company success.”

    I couldn’t agree more.

    Not everyone is cut out to be a leader, but an acute understanding of communication, problem-solving and open-mindedness increases any professional’s value. And these capabilities go beyond the workplace, affecting every aspect of life.

    Related: The No. 1 Skill Employers Want Job Applicants to Have Might Be the Hardest to Find, New Research Reveals

    1. Empathy

    This term is defined as the ability to practice awareness of other people’s emotions and attempt to understand their experiences and perspectives. It requires a certain level of maturity but makes a profound difference in a staff’s willingness to engage — fosters a sense of purpose and trust.

    Over the course of my travels around the world, I have both seen and experienced suffering and choosing not to overlook circumstances different from my own —attempting to put myself in someone else’s shoes — has taught me a deep sense of humility. It has also inspired me to start many of the businesses I own today, which would not exist without the ability to see beyond my own limits.

    To embrace empathy, listening is vital, as is not prioritizing your own tasks more than employees’ work. So, commit to making those around you feel heard. (Therapy and business coaching can be great assists in that effort.) Empathy is a skill that must be practiced!

    Related: How To Be An Empathetic Leader (Without Getting Walked All Over)

    2. Compassion

    The desire to take action to help others, compassion differs from empathy in that it’s not just an awareness of others’ perspectives, but an inclination to be of service to them. It is the application of empathy.

    One way I practice it is by allowing employees to bring pets and kids into the workplace — to empathize with situations out of their control (like a babysitter canceling at the last minute). By opening up the workspace to what some might consider the “untraditional,” the goal is to assist to the best of my ability.

    Practicing compassion builds a more inclusive company culture, one that promotes a stronger work ethic by celebrating diversity, and reflecting on your own experiences of hardship and adversity is key. Take the time to evaluate how other people’s compassion towards you made a positive impact, and assess how you can do the same for staff members.

    Related: How to Advocate for — and Implement — a ‘Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day’

    3. Adaptability

    Put simply, this is the ability to approach change with openness and understanding. When I consider the word, it’s often in the context of developing new health and wellness products, and I assume things won’t always go according to plan. I have to try many different takes/recipes to get the right balance, which is also true in many other facets of business, such as hiring and workflow. By entering a venture with a deliberate focus on sensitivity to change and willingness to pivot, achievement becomes markedly more likely.

    Effective adaptation requires patience and calmness, and I’ve found that meditation is profoundly helpful in fostering a positive mindset, but just as important is your perspective on work. Remember that no matter what, you have it good — you are fortunate and have skills to apply. If you truly believe and hold on to that notion, there’s no challenge that can’t be overcome.

    4. Integrity

    This is one of the most critical soft skills to practice when running a business. It’s an untampered dedication to acting on morals and values and requires honesty, fairness and a great deal of introspection. As CEO, you might be placed on a pedestal, so the importance of uncompromised integrity is huge: you must accept your mistakes and look failure in the eye without cheating your values. It’s been my experience that knowledge gained from failure far outweighs easy success at the expense of morals.

    That said, I know the temptation involved when a person is cornered in a position that seems unforgiving, with a staff relying on the company’s success to make a living. That can be daunting. But there is always a choice—a chance to not compromise for monetary gain. At the end of the day, you can forgive yourself for a failure but never for intentional wrongdoing. You’ll need a strong sense of purpose because your ethics will be frequently tested.

    Related: Leading By Example: Why You Must Chart Your Own Course As An Entrepreneur

    Don’t assume soft skills will come easily; they get cultivated over time. Anyone can get a degree, but not everyone can effectively practice empathy, compassion, adaptability and integrity, but they are indispensable to running a business and living a happy and healthy life.

    Dr. Christina Rahm

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  • The 4 Pillars of Leadership Success | Entrepreneur

    The 4 Pillars of Leadership Success | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As an entrepreneur, understanding how to be a great leader yourself — and how to find and instill great leadership in others — is critical.

    Throughout my journey as an entrepreneur and CEO, I’ve sifted through countless leadership frameworks, read tons of books, debated with colleagues and spent years figuring out what makes an effective leader. In my view, great leadership boils down to four key pillars: planning, people, process and performance.

    Let’s break down each pillar, why it matters and how you can use it to become a better leader.

    Related: A Guide to Becoming an Effective Leader: The 6 Traits of Every Successful Leader

    Planning: Conscious strategy

    Planning is the first pillar of effective leadership. My definition of planning involves setting clear, measurable goals, outlining specific steps to achieve them and creating a strategic roadmap to guide the way.

    Importantly, my definition also includes prioritization. Part of planning is understanding that not everything can be a focus at the same time and being proactive about using your resources most effectively. Whether you’re constrained by time, budget, team expertise or something else entirely, great leaders will clearly outline what their priorities are — and what their priorities are not — throughout a project’s life cycle.

    To be a leader who plans effectively, you need to embrace foresight, decisiveness and a big-picture view. Practice seeing challenges and opportunities ahead, making smart decisions and keeping a clear vision of where you’re headed.

    When leaders neglect planning, their teams are likely to struggle with making progress towards their goals. They may feel disorganized, overwhelmed or frustrated at the lack of results their efforts are generating. It’s the leader’s job to course correct, managing the many variables that can affect a project instead of hoping everything falls into place.

    People: Clear expectations

    People are at the heart of any organization, and managing them well is crucial. I believe the foundation of managing people is clear communication and expectations.

    Why are clear expectations so important? People can only succeed in their roles if they know what success looks like — and that alignment may not come naturally.

    For example, some leaders may think “success” in a role requires constant communication and churning out deliverables. Others may think “success” requires innovative thinking and taking ownership over the role. Both perspectives are valid, but for employees to excel in their roles, they need to know how you’ll be evaluating performance and what you want to see them achieve.

    As leaders, it’s also our responsibility to organize our time so that we can manage proactively rather than reactively. This requires clear, organized and thoughtful direction to keep teams aligned and working productively.

    When leaders fail to set clear expectations, teams can become confused and unmotivated. They may struggle to understand their roles or what is expected of them, leading to misalignment and decreased productivity.

    It’s crucial for leaders to communicate openly and frequently, ensuring everyone is on the same page and working towards common goals. This clarity not only enhances individual performance but also fosters a culture of accountability and mutual respect.

    Related: 3 Steps to Help Employees Understand Your Objectives and Expectations

    Process: Coordinated systems

    The process pillar focuses on the importance of coordinated systems and productive organizational design. The heart of an efficient team is a well-structured organization with clear methodologies and processes. This structure serves as the foundation for building next-level growth and development.

    By holistically understanding the current organizational design, leaders can identify areas for improvement and implement new systems that enhance efficiency and productivity. Coordinated systems ensure that everyone is working towards common goals in a consistent and streamlined manner.

    Depending on the role and organization, creating processes may require establishing standard operating procedures, optimizing workflows and leveraging technology to support organizational needs.

    A well-defined process also requires regular attention. A system that’s effective and efficient today may not be effective and efficient a year from now. As your company grows, your team changes and technology advances, processes may need updates and overhauls to reflect the new environment.

    When leaders overlook the importance of processes, teams can become inefficient and chaotic. Without clear systems and methodologies, you may see the effects of duplicated tasks and wasted effort on overall productivity. Effective process management enables teams to operate more efficiently, reducing redundancy and maximizing resources.

    Performance: Consistent accountability

    Performance is the final pillar, emphasizing the importance of consistent accountability. Effective leaders value results and hold teams and team members accountable for achieving their goals. This involves having a bias towards action, finding ways to solve problems and breaking large projects into actionable chunks.

    Accountability is also about ensuring that everyone is responsible for their contributions, and that performance is regularly monitored and evaluated. Leaders need to set clear performance metrics, provide regular feedback and recognize achievements among their teams.

    When leaders neglect accountability, performance can suffer. Teams may lack direction, fail to meet goals and miss opportunities for improvement. In the long term, the business may struggle to move forward at all.

    By fostering a culture of accountability, leaders encourage continuous improvement and drive high performance across the organization.

    Related: Fostering This Trait Is One of the Hardest Things for Leaders to Get Right

    At the end of the day, “being a good leader” can feel like an abstract, intangible goal. However, it really comes down to nailing these four foundational areas. By applying these pillars to your own leadership and instilling them in your team, you’ll be on the right track towards sustainable growth.

    Hope Horner

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  • This Trauma Doctor Shares How He Deals with Loss and How It Will Change Your Perspective on Failure | Entrepreneur

    This Trauma Doctor Shares How He Deals with Loss and How It Will Change Your Perspective on Failure | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    If you are an emergency room physician, death and the fear of failure are constant companions. A countdown timer starts when a patient arrives with a fatal wound or condition. If that timer reaches zero, the patient will die. If it is prevented from reaching zero, the patient will survive and live to fight another day.

    It is literally a race against the clock, and the role of the ER physician is to battle that timer directly through medical interventions and keep the patient alive long enough for a trauma surgeon, interventional cardiologist or other specialist to solve the issue that is killing them.

    As you might imagine, when the ER staff wins that fight and saves a life, it is a fantastic feeling, but when they fail and lose a patient, it is devastating. Worse yet is when they lose a patient who could have been saved because they either made an error or did not have the required resources to save the person. Every ER Doctor has memories of the patients that they lost. In fact, a requirement for a long and healthy career in emergency medicine is the ability to find peace with this notion.

    I recently had the opportunity to spend time with Dr. Dan Dworkis, a Trauma and ER physician, Professor at the USC Keck School of Medicine, Medical Director of the Mission Critical Teams Institute, Podcast host and the author of The Emergency Mind. Dan has spent his career working in emergency rooms. In fact, not just emergency rooms but a busy trauma center in Los Angeles.

    As you might imagine, Dan has seen it all and, as a result, carries the stories and memories that come with working at a hospital that is frequented by children who have been shot, traumatic car accidents and people with life-threatening injuries and illnesses.

    Dan has spent a big part of his career studying how we make decisions under stress, how to operate in high-stress environments and how to create a culture of continuous improvement. Not surprisingly, I learned a lot from Dan. But, by far, the most profound thing I learned from Dan was a unique way to approach failure and, in the process, open ourselves up to growth and learning.

    Related: The 5 Key Qualities of a Good Leader

    The ritual: Learning by embracing loss

    As you can imagine, trauma physicians see quite a bit of death. No matter how good a doctor you are, you will lose patients, and some of those people certainly could have been saved with different skills or different resources. It would be easy to simply block yourself off from these feelings, to harden your heart, and to put these bad experiences into a mental box that you lock away. While this might not be great for your mental health, it is certainly a seemingly easier thing than confronting these memories and feelings. Yet, Dan actually advocates doing the complete opposite, leaning into the failure and attacking it directly.

    When a patient dies, there is an awkward moment immediately afterward where the team that treated the patient must transition away from that fight and move on to another. Despite just a few minutes before waging a war to save their life, the team must move on from this person. Machines must be turned off, tubes and wires removed, and each team member must emotionally reset and get back to work.

    It would be easy at that point to block the feelings and doubts that arise, place them in a box and move on to the next task while hoping never to think about those feelings again. But that is not what Dan does or advocates. Instead, he engages in a ritual that he was taught as a young doctor, which is to gather the team at the bedside of the patient, place a hand on the deceased patient, and utter the following phrase: “Thank you for teaching me. I am sorry that all I could do for you today was learn.”

    This seemingly simple act and brief statement is more than just a ritual to clear the mind before moving on. Instead, it is a deeply profound approach to situations where we cannot succeed and lays a strong foundation for learning and growth.

    Related: 2 Phrases I Learned From a Senior CIA Officer That Changed My Leadership Style

    Embracing failure

    The first significant thing that this ritual does is acknowledge and embrace failure. Rather than moving on and pretending that something profoundly negative didn’t just happen, this ritual looks failure square in the eye and leans into the discomfort of the situation. It embraces failure and immediately triggers the learning process.

    The first step to growth is the recognition and admission that what we currently do or know is not sufficient. To learn from others, we have to accept our own shortcomings, and this practice opens the door to that and to discovering something better. If we do not admit to our shortcomings, we cannot improve, and this is precisely the point of this ritual.

    Simply look at the phrase, “Thank you for teaching me. I am sorry that all I could do for you today was learn.” By its nature, it says I failed you today, and I wish I had more to give. It doesn’t say, “It’s too bad you died,” or “Wow, rough break you got.” It says, “I am sorry.” It embraces that the team didn’t have enough to save the person (and to be fair, no one may have been able to save them), but simply that acknowledgment doesn’t go far enough. Rather, it says I “learned from you.” It implicitly says, “I will be better next time” and “I am growing and improving my skills.” It is active, not passive, and immediately takes the first step toward learning.

    Conclusion

    A profound lesson extends far beyond the medical field and this single ritual to all of us. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a business leader, or even a parent, creating a culture of learning from mistakes and continuous improvement is critical to getting better. We should never run from our errors or try to hide them. We should embrace our failures and view them as perfect opportunities to grow. By establishing a process that immediately addresses our failures or shortcomings, we also immediately focus our attention on how we can improve, where we have deficiencies and perhaps most importantly, we immediately begin the process of learning and growth.

    Jon B. Becker

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  • Master This Crucial Business Skill to Become a Better Leader | Entrepreneur

    Master This Crucial Business Skill to Become a Better Leader | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In my 22+ years of marriage, my wife and I have traveled around the world and experienced many different cultures and sightseeing excursions. We especially love scheduling tours with local guides who cherish their home country and know all the facts and stories to share with tourists. One specific memory was on a trip to Paris, France in a motorcycle with an attached sidecar.

    Most people traveling to Paris are focused on their classic picture in front of the Eiffel Tower, but this turned out to be more unique and memorable for one specific reason: Our tour guide’s stories and communication style. On his own motorcycle, he rode in front of us, navigating through the side streets and unknown paths of Paris and its suburbs, stopping along the way to share stories and facts that brought the rich culture and history to life.

    He later shared that he also offered the same Paris motorcycle tour daily in French, German and Italian. This gentleman was able to overcome the language barriers and translate his love for France in a way that would connect with any tourist from any background. The fact that he could do this in four different languages fluently was not just impressive; it was a powerful reminder of the universal importance of great communication skills.

    In business, the ability to communicate well transcends the need to master multiple languages. It’s about conveying your message, vision and values in a way that resonates with people, regardless of their industry or background. While you may not all be learning to speak four languages fluently, enhancing your communication skills is pivotal for success in any business. As technology continues to evolve and advance, the fundamental skill of engaging effectively with others remains timeless and invaluable.

    Related: How Better Communication Skills Can Make You a Better Leader

    Delivery is critical

    The essence of communication lies not only in what you say but in how you say it. The delivery of your message can dramatically affect its reception. Just as my Parisian guide chose his words and modulated his voice to captivate and educate, business leaders must also focus on their delivery. This involves the tone, pace and emotion behind the words.

    A well-delivered message can inspire, motivate and persuade, making it one of the most powerful tools in a leader’s arsenal. Whether you’re presenting to stakeholders, pitching to investors or leading your team, the way you deliver your message can be the difference between success and failure. Think of how often a text or an email is misinterpreted because you didn’t capture the tone and intention as the sender intended it to be received.

    Keep your audience in mind

    Understanding your audience is crucial for effective communication. This means tailoring your message to meet their interests, needs and level of understanding. The motorcycle guide knew exactly how to engage his diverse audience, using cultural references and humor that resonated across different nationalities. He actually related things to us with some American humor and sarcasm.

    In business, knowing your audience can help you decide the best approach to take, whether it’s in a marketing campaign, a business negotiation or even an internal team meeting. It’s about connecting on a level that’s both relatable and understandable, ensuring your message is not just heard but felt and acted upon.

    Not all communication is effective

    Effective communication is about clarity, conciseness and coherence. It’s about making your point without overwhelming your audience with unnecessary jargon or complexity. Simplicity is often the key to understanding, but achieving it requires a deep understanding of the subject matter and the ability to distill it into its most essential elements.

    Remember, it’s not about dumbing down your message but about elevating it to a level where it becomes accessible and impactful. Like the guide who condensed the vast history of Paris into digestible, engaging stories, a skilled communicator can transform complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives.

    Related: 7 Leadership Communication Blunders That Could Make or Break Your Company

    Embrace feedback for continuous improvement

    A crucial aspect of communication that complements the earlier points is the willingness to receive and incorporate feedback. Just as a guide might adjust their tour based on the reactions and interests of the group, effective business communicators must be open to feedback from their audience. This not only helps in refining the message but also in building stronger relationships.

    Feedback provides insight into how your message is perceived and offers opportunities for improvement. By embracing constructive criticism and adapting your approach, you can enhance your ability to connect with others and make your communication even more effective. Ultimately, the goal is to foster an environment of open dialogue where ideas can be exchanged freely and innovation can thrive. This adaptability not only enriches your personal growth but also significantly contributes to the success and dynamic evolution of your business endeavors.

    Keep in mind that your career and success will depend on your ability to communicate well. This is a cornerstone of successful business leadership. It’s a skill that enriches every interaction, from negotiating deals to inspiring your team. Like the art of speaking multiple languages, it opens doors to new opportunities and fosters connections that transcend cultural and linguistic barriers. As you navigate the ever-changing landscape of business and technology, let’s commit to honing this timeless skill, for it’s through the power of communication that we can truly lead, inspire and achieve greatness by turning ideas into action.

    Related: 5 Steps to Communicate Like a Boss

    Chad Willardson

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  • How to Leverage Uncertainty, Volatility and Stress for Unprecedented Growth and Innovation | Entrepreneur

    How to Leverage Uncertainty, Volatility and Stress for Unprecedented Growth and Innovation | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Over a decade ago, esteemed statistician and essayist, Nassim Nicholas Taleb wrote a series of arguments about organisms or systems that do more than just resist or bounce back from stressors and adversity. Instead, they improve their capacity to thrive in the long term because of those very stressors.

    This phenomenon, which he termed antifragility, has subsequently been applied to various fields such as risk analysis, aerospace, molecular biology, urban planning and more, to great success. Where it hasn’t been adequately integrated and leveraged is in entrepreneurship, and further, in how we develop the psychology required to become antifragile. Therein lies a significant opportunity.

    In an entrepreneurial sense, antifragility means that unlike things that are “resilient” (i.e., can withstand shocks) or “fragile” (i.e., are harmed by shocks), antifragile entities thrive and improve in the face of volatility, uncertainty and stress. Applying the concept of antifragility to an entrepreneurial framework involves cultivating an organizational structure and mindset that not only withstands uncertainties and disruptions but leverages them for growth.

    I am no stranger to the volatility of life and the markets. I’ve weathered life’s ups and downs, particularly after the 2008 crash, when I faced total financial loss. This phase was tough on both personal and professional fronts. Those days tested me to the core. They were challenging my resilience and character like never before. As I began to rebuild my life and reframe my purpose as an entrepreneur, the concept of antifragility began to blossom. I learned to lean into hardship, and I embraced the principle of antifragility, learning to grow stronger from adversity, volatility and stress.

    Related: How to Thrive Through Adversity — A Roadmap for Entrepreneurial Resilience

    Understanding antifragility

    Antifragility is not about bouncing back, returning to baseline or even withstanding stress, volatility, uncertainty or any other adversity. It’s about growing and benefitting from those things. It’s being a Hydra, not a Phoenix. The famous mythical bird, the Phoenix, is noted for its incredible ability to dissipate to ashes, only to be reborn as it once was. It does this repeatedly, the same cycle of ashes to rebirth, over and over. However, the Greek legend of Heracles and his 12 labors paints a different picture for us. One of Heracles’ famous labors is the destruction of the Hydra, a nine-headed water snake. While nine heads might be more than formidable enough, the Hydra also had a unique characteristic. If Heracles were to successfully slice off one of the Hydra’s heads, it wouldn’t just grow the head back, it would grow back that head and more. Cut off one of its heads, it grows back two more. The Hydra isn’t just resilient, it’s antifragile.

    From an entrepreneurial perspective, the concept of antifragility is a powerful tool. It’s learning to become a Hydra. Adopting an antifragile mindset in business means not just surviving in a chaotic environment but actively seeking ways to grow and improve as a result of the chaos. It’s about turning volatility and uncertainty into opportunities for innovation, learning and resilience.

    Indeed, this can be a difficult concept to apply practically simply because most of our knee-jerk reactions are to avoid discomfort, volatility and uncertainty. So, how can entrepreneurs develop an antifragile mindset?

    Building an antifragile mindset

    While much more research needs to be done to better understand the psychology and neuroscience of antifragile behavior, we do have some excellent indicators from the science and lived experiences of antifragile individuals. Several of those indicators fall into a bucket of what we call mindset, a set of beliefs, both conscious and unconscious that influence the way we see and interact with the world. These mindsets impact our “thought-action repertoires,” the short list of possible actions or behaviors chosen from in any given context.

    Developing such mindsets requires training several ways of thinking over time so that they eventually become traits. The first, and perhaps most critical trait is psychological flexibility. Antifragility is not about rigidity, but flexibility within a clearly defined boundary of values and beliefs. It’s not just mental toughness or “suck it up” attitudes. It’s the ability to exist in, endure and even benefit from a rich range of experiences and to be able to see situations from a range of perspectives.

    This gives way to another important skill, the ability to see and approach stressors as challenges or opportunities instead of threats, what is commonly referred to as a challenge mindset as opposed to a stress mindset (e.g., fight, flight or freeze). While many more granular details and thinking styles exist within these larger categories, being psychologically flexible, generally optimistic and challenge-oriented serve as excellent starting points for developing an antifragile mindset.

    Related: Obstacles Are Opportunities: Use Them to Take Your Business to the Next Level

    Antifragile strategies for entrepreneurs

    Once you have worked on developing an antifragile mindset, entrepreneurs can begin to apply practical strategies for building antifragile businesses and frameworks.

    Recognizing that antifragile systems thrive amidst chaos and uncertainty, and choosing to see these conditions not as threats but as avenues for growth is a game changer. This mindset encourages entrepreneurs like us to not shy away from risks but to engage in calculated ones that bring beneficial volatility.

    Similarly, diversification is key; by spreading out revenue sources, customer bases and offerings, we can make our businesses more adaptable and less prone to singular shocks. Learning from failure is also a cornerstone of antifragility. Viewing setbacks as crucial learning moments allows us to foster a culture of innovation and resilience.

    Agility and adaptability are paramount; I believe in incorporating flexibility into business models to swiftly navigate market shifts. This involves a constant re-evaluation of strategies to stay aligned with the dynamic business environment. In pursuing decentralization, we mitigate risks associated with single points of failure, enhancing our response to disruptions. Ensuring systems are robust, with redundant processes and well-thought-out contingency plans, further fortifies our antifragile stance.

    Continuous innovation keeps entrepreneurs ahead, urging us to always push the envelope and explore new territories. Building a strong network is equally crucial, providing a support system and resources that are vital in tumultuous times.

    Lastly, the foundation of antifragility lies in resilience — both organizational and personal. Prioritizing the well-being of ourselves and our teams, ensuring a healthy work-life balance and nurturing a supportive environment are all critical in building a truly resilient and antifragile enterprise.

    Related: Why You Need to Embrace Uncertainty as an Entrepreneurial Leader (and How to Navigate It Effectively)

    Embracing antifragility represents a paradigm shift in entrepreneurship, encouraging leaders to not just endure but to harness volatility and uncertainty as engines for innovation and growth.

    As we navigate a world characterized by rapid change and unpredictability, the principles of antifragility offer a roadmap for building robust, dynamic businesses poised for long-term success. By integrating these concepts into their strategies, entrepreneurs can create organizations that not only withstand but capitalize on the complexities of the modern market.

    It’s time to let chaos be your catalyst, embracing antifragility as not just a strategy for survival, but as the foundation for unprecedented growth and innovation.

    Peter Goldstein

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