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Tag: Leadership Skills

  • How Owning a Professional Rugby Team Changed the Way I Lead | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    When I signed on as a founding owner of the Houston SaberCats, people asked me the same question over and over: “Why rugby?”

    To be fair, it wasn’t the obvious move. I’d already built a successful career in commodities trading and entrepreneurship. Rugby wasn’t a mainstream sport in the U.S., and it was clear we’d be climbing uphill in search for new market, new fans and new infrastructure. But that’s exactly what drew me to it.

    Entrepreneurs know that if you only play safe games, you’ll never learn anything new. Rugby, in all its rawness, became a mirror for my business endeavors: tough, unpredictable and full of lessons that reshaped how I lead. Here are the five biggest ones.

    Related: Adopt The Winning Habits of Elite Sports Stars to Unlock Entrepreneurial Greatness

    1. Play through the hit

    I’ll never forget standing on the sideline of our first SaberCats match, watching one of our players get leveled by a brutal tackle. Most people would’ve stayed down. He didn’t. He fought for every inch, rolled and kept driving the ball forward. The crowd erupted.

    That image stuck with me. In rugby, getting hit is part of the game, and when you get hit, you don’t stop — you adapt mid-impact. In business, the “hit” looks like a failed deal, a regulatory curveball or a market downturn. I’ve had plenty of those. What separates winning leaders from the rest isn’t avoiding the hit; it’s what they do after. Push forward. Stay on your feet. Make the play anyway.

    2. Trust the pack

    Early on, I thought entrepreneurship was about individual brilliance, where the best idea, the hardest worker and the guy willing to put in more hours than anyone else wins. Rugby shattered that illusion.

    A scrum is pure trust. Eight players lock in, shoulder to shoulder, with one mission: Move forward. If even one man falters, the whole formation collapses. It’s messy, it’s physical, and it’s all-or-nothing.

    That’s exactly what business teams should look like. At GETCHOICE!, I’ve learned that success isn’t about me making every call. It is about surrounding myself with the right people, trusting them to do their jobs and creating a culture where loyalty and accountability are non-negotiable. No pack, no progress.

    3. Adapt on the fly

    Rugby is chaos. There are no endless timeouts to plan your next move. Plays evolve in seconds, and players must read the field, adjust and execute in real time.

    I’ve had moments in business where a deal collapsed overnight or new regulations flipped our strategy upside down. The instinct is to freeze, but rugby trained me to do the opposite: Call an audible, pivot, and move. You may not always have perfect data, but you always have instinct and courage. And sometimes, that’s all you need to keep momentum alive.

    4. Respect the grind

    Here’s what most people don’t realize about rugby: These athletes play with no pads, no helmets and no glamour. It’s 80 minutes of collisions, sweat and bruises. And yet they do it because they love the grind.

    That mentality is the same in entrepreneurship. When people see an acquisition announcement or a headline about success, they don’t see the years of grueling work behind it. The 4 a.m. flights. The contracts that fell apart. The stress of payroll weeks. Rugby reminded me that toughness isn’t a one-time choice but rather it’s a way of life. You have to enjoy the grind, because that’s what forges winners.

    Related: Adopting an Elite Sports Mentality to Entrepreneurship

    5. Leave it all on the field

    Rugby has this tradition I fell in love with: After the final whistle, rivals share beers. Think about that — you spend 80 minutes hitting each other with everything you’ve got, and then you sit down together with mutual respect.

    I’ve carried that same mindset into business. Compete fiercely, play full out, but respect your rivals. Shake hands. Learn from them. Because the legacy you leave isn’t about a single game or deal — it’s about how you show up, how you compete and the way people remember you when the whistle blows.

    Rugby is the ultimate underdog game: tough, unpolished, but rich with lessons about teamwork, grit and respect. It changed how I lead, how I compete, and how I build companies.

    And here’s the truth: Business, like rugby, isn’t for the faint of heart. You will get hit. You will get tested. But if you trust your pack, adapt when the field shifts and respect the grind, you’ll not just play the game, you’ll own it.

    When I signed on as a founding owner of the Houston SaberCats, people asked me the same question over and over: “Why rugby?”

    To be fair, it wasn’t the obvious move. I’d already built a successful career in commodities trading and entrepreneurship. Rugby wasn’t a mainstream sport in the U.S., and it was clear we’d be climbing uphill in search for new market, new fans and new infrastructure. But that’s exactly what drew me to it.

    Entrepreneurs know that if you only play safe games, you’ll never learn anything new. Rugby, in all its rawness, became a mirror for my business endeavors: tough, unpredictable and full of lessons that reshaped how I lead. Here are the five biggest ones.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Javier Loya

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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

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    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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  • 7 Steps to De-Risking Big Business Decisions Before They Backfire | Entrepreneur

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    When the pressure is on — a new market, product launch or high-stakes pivot — it’s easy to rush past the steps that could have saved you from failure. Despite the volumes of books and case studies on how to make better decisions, many leaders still repeat the same mistakes. These seven steps are designed to cut through the noise and help you de-risk big decisions, no matter your industry.

    1. Remove bias before it wrecks your strategy

    Even the most innovative companies make irrational calls because they skip the hard part: eliminating bias. Groupthink, overconfidence and confirmation bias quietly sabotage good ideas — and major decisions get made based on ego instead of insight.

    The only real antidote? Data. And lots of it. Whether you’re restructuring your team or launching a new product, let data challenge your assumptions. Use tools like the AEM-Cube for internal shifts and lean on Design Thinking for customer-facing initiatives. Bias isn’t always obvious — but its costs always are.

    Related: The 5 Step Process To Identify Risk and Improve Decision-Making

    2. Get closer to the right customer with the right research

    Too many decisions are made in boardrooms, far removed from the people they affect. Metrics and dashboards are useful, but they don’t replace real customer insight.

    Most companies think they know their customers. Few actually do. Build detailed personas, map the full customer journey, and invest in ethnographic research. For internal decisions, your “customer” might be your team. If your employees don’t feel heard, seen or aligned with your mission, even the best strategies will collapse under cultural resistance.

    3. Test fast before you go big

    Once you have a strategy, pilot it quickly and learn faster. Build small experiments, run A/B tests, define your offering clearly, and measure everything — from product fit to pricing, UX to delivery.

    Let real customer behavior — not internal assumptions — guide your next steps. Pilots aren’t about proving you’re right. They’re about learning what works.

    4. Tie decisions to real incentives

    Too many change initiatives fail because they ignore human motivation. If you’re not aligning incentives with your new direction, don’t expect people to get on board.

    Start with clear internal communication. Then build in feedback loops, transparent compensation structures and tie your mission to purpose-driven rewards. Change without buy-in creates friction. Buy-in without incentives creates apathy.

    5. Make sure your capacity can keep up

    The right idea in the wrong structure is a guaranteed failure. If your systems, people, or tech can’t handle the growth or change you’re aiming for, capacity will break before the strategy does.

    Run stress tests. Evaluate your infrastructure, team readiness and internal workflows. Ask: Can we execute this at scale, or are we just excited by the concept?

    6. Stick to a customer-centric strategy

    Even great decisions go off the rails without early warning signs and course-correction plans. Identify the signals that indicate a pivot is needed — and stay close to your customers post-launch.

    UX research doesn’t end once the product ships. Keep mapping how real users engage with your offering, and adjust accordingly. Consistency with your core personas is your best safeguard against drift.

    Related: 7 Tips for Making Quality Business Decisions

    7. Disrupt yourself before someone else does

    If your strategy works, expect competitors to follow. They’ll try to copy your product — or poach your people.

    Stay ahead by regularly asking:

    • How would someone disrupt us?
    • What would it take to replicate our edge?
    • Where are we most vulnerable?

    Then take small steps to disrupt yourself before anyone else does. Build a culture of reinvention, not complacency.

    Final thought

    Smart leaders don’t wait for a crisis to think clearly. They build decision-making processes that are bias-proof, customer-led, and test-driven. Whether you’re launching a product or reshaping your org, these seven steps help ensure your bold moves aren’t blind ones.

    When the pressure is on — a new market, product launch or high-stakes pivot — it’s easy to rush past the steps that could have saved you from failure. Despite the volumes of books and case studies on how to make better decisions, many leaders still repeat the same mistakes. These seven steps are designed to cut through the noise and help you de-risk big decisions, no matter your industry.

    1. Remove bias before it wrecks your strategy

    Even the most innovative companies make irrational calls because they skip the hard part: eliminating bias. Groupthink, overconfidence and confirmation bias quietly sabotage good ideas — and major decisions get made based on ego instead of insight.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Adam Horlock

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

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    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.

    The rest of this article is locked.

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    Deedra Determan

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

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    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.

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    Ramon Ray

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

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    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

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    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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  • Introvert Warren Buffett Reveals Secret to Public Speaking | Entrepreneur

    Introvert Warren Buffett Reveals Secret to Public Speaking | Entrepreneur

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    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.

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    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

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    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.”

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    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

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    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.

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    Jairek Robbins

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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

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    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.

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    Christie Horsman

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  • The 4 Pillars of Leadership Success | Entrepreneur

    The 4 Pillars of Leadership Success | Entrepreneur

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    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.

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    Hope Horner

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  • How to Close the Trust Gap Between You and Your Team | Entrepreneur

    How to Close the Trust Gap Between You and Your Team | Entrepreneur

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    PwC has been tracking trust within workplace settings for years, but their most recent 2024 survey reveals a larger trust disconnect between leaders and employees than in the past. While 86% of executives say they trust their people, just 60% of workers feel trusted by their organizations. That means that for every 10 employees you manage, four doubt that you honestly have their backs.

    If this sounds alarming, you’re paying attention. Trust is an essential tool that can hold a company together through the good and bad times. When you have a steady stream of trust throughout your company, you’re poised to see higher performance levels and more creativity. Instead of playing it safe (which leads to playing it small), employees take pride in being trusted enough to innovate and think outside narrow job descriptions. With an added layer of trust, they can see the bigger vision and know their impact will be appreciated.

    Unfortunately, you can’t wave a magic wand and make trust appear. Trust isn’t a commodity. It can’t be bought or sold. It must be earned, and that means you need the courage to make some shifts in your leadership style to close any trust gaps between you and your team.

    Related: Strong Leaders Use These 4 Strategies to Build Trust in Their Workplace

    1. Retool your hiring process

    First, do something that sounds simple but isn’t: Take hiring seriously. The tighter your selection process for all positions, the easier it will be to develop trust with the people you onboard. It’s exceptionally difficult to build trust with someone who is the wrong fit for your business goals or doesn’t value people. By making your hiring process more robust, you send a message that your team is significant, select and special. That’s a foundation for future trust.

    As part of your revised hiring process, involve your team in the experience. The unknown is a big barrier to trust. Empowering your people to help make hiring decisions reduces the friction that can come when an “outsider” is brought into the mix. Have them conduct group and individual interviews, review resumes and participate in hiring simulations for final candidates. Ask for their input. In no time, you’ll transform the “new person” into someone who’s been invited to join the team by the team.

    2. Invest time in building genuine relationships

    After you’ve hired someone, kick off your relationship on a trust-building note. Sit down and talk about your expectations. As an executive, I’ve learned to ask specific questions to gain trust.

    • How will we work together?

    • What does trust and respect look like in a working relationship?

    • What do you expect of me as your boss?

    • How should we handle inevitable differences of opinion?

    By asking these questions — and truly listening to the answers — you’ll set the stage right away for free-flowing, authentic discussions built around mutual respect and understanding. It also makes it easier to share your expectations for how they show up at work.

    This effort will pay off down the road, especially during rocky moments. In the past, I’ve had to let team members go. Rather than ignoring the elephant in the room, I sit everyone down together afterward. I find out how they’re feeling. Usually, no one talks about those types of things. Our team can because we have strong relationships with each other, making it easier to take a pulse and hear everyone’s perspectives.

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

    3. Strengthen your leadership tendencies

    All leaders can get better. The sooner you recognize any tendencies or habits you have that are leading others to distrust you, the sooner you can stop them. For instance, is your first reaction to a problem assuming control, micromanaging or taking over? Do you resist sharing information because you stress about freaking out your team? These are understandable reactions, but they’re not going to foster trust.

    Now, you may say that you’re just “following orders” or that your company’s hierarchy is militant and structured. That’s not uncommon, although it’s very old-school. However, when you keep people in the dark, you instill fear and inadvertently minimize people’s potential contributions. Conversely, when you trust your team with the truth, you open the doors to better communication and a high-performing culture. And you can do this regardless of what your company does, at least to a certain degree.

    4. Use tech to grow — not destroy — trust

    The latest tech tools can be used to both fuel and hinder trust. It all boils down to how, when and why you introduce and use them. For instance, I recommend talking with your team before bringing in any new tech. When you chat about it first, you’re not just unilaterally forcing your team to use a tech they might not find beneficial. Ideally, tech should simplify everyone’s work experience, not make their lives harder.

    What about monitoring software? It’s a losing battle. When you’re monitoring folks, you’re saying, “I don’t trust you” and “I care more about time than outcomes.” Your employees will resent this and may even find loopholes to game your monitoring system. I know of a remote worker who put her mouse in her pocket and did errands. The mouse jiggled as if she were at her desk, and her bosses never knew. Ingenious. If she was getting work done, why should she be monitored like a child? Ultimately, it all comes back to trusting your team members and giving them the room to do their jobs as expected.

    Related: The Biggest Obstacle Facing Leaders Is Distrust. Here’s How to Build Confidence in Your Team.

    5. Rethink your assumptions about people

    You can’t do it all. No one can. You have to count on others, and that means you have to value and trust employees. It’s okay if you wouldn’t trust them to babysit your kids while you go on a date night. However, you must trust them to take pride in their work and perform their job well once fully trained. Where to start? Try pushing responsibilities to your team.

    In one of our workshops, a participant realized she was too “in the weeds” and didn’t have time to lead. When she returned to work, she pulled her small team into a meeting. She said, “These are the things that need to get done. I want you guys to work out how to make everything happen. Let me know what you’ll need from me.” Within a couple of hours, they had divided the work between them based on their aptitudes and preferences. From there, everything went smoothly. The leader was surprised (and relieved) by how well the experiment worked.

    You may trust your team, but if you’re not filtering your actions through a trust filter, you’re probably missing major trust-building opportunities. By switching up a few of your leadership strategies, you can demonstrate your unwavering trust, which will help clear the way for your trust to be reciprocated.

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    Gloria St. Martin-Lowry

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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

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    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.

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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    Peter Goldstein

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  • Is Your Leadership Team Failing Your Employees? | Entrepreneur

    Is Your Leadership Team Failing Your Employees? | Entrepreneur

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    I’m sure you have seen the headlines about quiet quitting, loud quitting and company struggles with employee retention. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, it has become very clear that many employees are unhappy in their current jobs, but what is the main culprit here? While this is a complex issue with many potential contributing pieces, there is one clear factor fueling a large portion of employee dissatisfaction, and it is poor leadership.

    Throughout my career, I have seen the ill effects of bad bosses from many different angles. During my time practicing in healthcare, I saw the physical, mental and emotional strain caused by poor leadership and its impact on patients, colleagues and even myself. I remember when I started my first “real” job after college. My boss at the time wanted me to check in with him before leaving for the day. Typically, around 6:00 pm, when all my work was completed, I would wait by his door with my stomach growling hoping to get the thumbs up to make the 60-minute or more commute home. My boss would see me standing there and would typically make a motion like he was busy, and I needed to wait (if he acknowledged me at all). If I was lucky, it would be about 15-20 minutes before I got the hand wave that he was ready to talk, but most of the time I would be there waiting for much, much longer.

    On the flip side, I have also been extremely fortunate to experience what empowering and supportive leadership looks like. During my keynote talks and corporate trainings, I have witnessed solution-focused dialogue around employee pain points and struggles. I have seen leaders actively asking for feedback from their employees, looking for ways to implement positive change to support their overall well-being.

    Related: 7 Timeless Principles That Will Help You Become a Better Leader

    For better or worse, the leaders in your organization can make or break employee happiness, well-being and company culture. I recently took a poll on LinkedIn where I asked the question, “If you are not completely fulfilled at your job, what do you think is the main reason?” Unsurprisingly, 56% of respondents chose poor leadership or their boss. When people don’t feel valued or fulfilled in their careers, their performance suffers, and the organization as a whole is negatively impacted.

    According to Gallup’s State of the Workplace 2023 report, almost 6 out of 10 employees were categorized as quiet quitting, and 51% of surveyed employed workers reported watching for or seeking out a new job.

    So, what do employees really want from their leadership team? While exploring this question, I ran another poll on LinkedIn asking, “What made the best boss you ever had such a great boss?” An overwhelming 77% of respondents reported that it was their support and advocacy. At the end of the day, people want a boss that is in their corner. They want to work for a leader they can trust; a leader who has their back. Now, developing that trust is not always easy. It takes intention, self-awareness, time and effort.

    That said, here are three steps to help you move in the direction of becoming a better leader:

    1. Optimize how you communicate

    How effective do you think you are at communicating? How does your communication style fluctuate based on your emotions? How are you perceived by others? A key part of being an excellent communicator is building self-awareness. When you start to recognize your tendencies and habitual responses to different situations, you can begin to see where there is room for improvement.

    Do you shut down when you get upset? Do you micromanage when you get stressed? Is there regular, clear and open dialogue between you and your team about expectations, workload, timelines and potential speed bumps? What does your team really think about your communication style? Getting feedback in this arena and working towards being an optimal communicator will help create an environment where everyone feels seen, heard, valued and supported.

    Related: 5 Steps to Communicate Like a Boss

    2. Build connection

    How well do you know the members of your team? As a leader, it is important to have regular check-ins with your group via different formats including, email, phone, virtual and in-person. You should also be having informal conversations in which you are able to get to know them as a person.

    Learn about your team members’ goals and aspirations. What are their strengths? Is there a time of day when they work the best? What are their pain points with their job? What kind of help and support could they benefit from? Discovering these things will help you more effectively lead each individual employee based on their unique situation. You won’t be able to provide support and potential solutions for problems if you don’t even know they exist.

    3. Be receptive to feedback

    Too often leaders are the ones providing the feedback, but they are not always getting honest feedback from their teams and groups. Leaders need to provide constructive feedback, mentorship and support, but they also need to be actively seeking out feedback from their team. You may be biased when it comes to your leadership style, or you may not be aware that some of your messaging is being misinterpreted, so getting feedback is essential.

    Now, no one is going to want to share feedback about their boss if they are afraid that it will negatively impact their job security or career advancement. As a leader, you are responsible for creating a safe environment and a feedback loop for employees to share suggestions, concerns and pain points.

    When it comes down to it, no one really wants to be a bad leader. They may just be lacking the tools, skills or self-awareness needed to create a space where employees can thrive. Wherever you are at in your leadership journey, remember that there is always room for growth. By investing in leadership development, you will be planting the seeds for an empowering company culture with happier employees who will want to work with you for years to come.

    Related: 5 Tips to Help You Be the Sort of Leader Employees Love to Work For

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    Kristel Bauer

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  • 7 Traits Leaders Need to Attain to Visionary Leadership | Entrepreneur

    7 Traits Leaders Need to Attain to Visionary Leadership | Entrepreneur

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    Thomas Jefferson had a bold vision as the United States broke away from British rule. Consider his letter to John Adams in 1823, when he said, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Jefferson was contemplative and progressive in emphasizing his dream of a different America. He was a visionary.

    Many others have failed in dogmatic pragmatism. George H. W. Bush had several leadership qualities, such as humility and integrity, but Bush scholars universally agree that he lacked vision. His perspective on the United States was similar to Blockbuster and Kodak: let’s double down on our history and what’s worked in the past.

    Bush is even known for saying that he doesn’t understand “that vision thing.” In his inaugural address, he said there’s no need for the country to “invent a system by which to live.” All we need to do is “act on what we know.”

    There’s utility in traditional thinking, but it becomes a strength overused when you can’t do the other side of the coin — vision. Bush was a one-term president, losing to a relatively unknown Bill Clinton because he lacked an inspirational message.

    So, how can CEOs create a vision so powerful that it ignites organizational transformation?

    Related: Are You a Visionary Leader? Here are 12 Ways to Cultivate and Enhance Your Leadership Vision

    1. Vision from the heart

    In Nietzsche’s words, “Only as an aesthetic phenomenon are life and the world justified eternally.” A vision should only affect us in the way art can, revitalizing the spirit and the selves’ experience, as opposed to the task-oriented and linear nature of day-to-day goals. The executive’s vision is an aesthetic, imaginative idealization that gives meaning to the organization, like an artist moving from a blank canvas to what could be.

    2. Align with the organization’s values

    Unlike strategic objectives, which are rationally derived, visions are values-laden. They give meaning through an ideological goal. Since they are about what should be, they are, by definition, an expression of values and corporate identity.

    Thus, effective CEOs keep the vision malleable in relation to the business landscape but never change the values underneath. Not only that, but their personal values align with the organization and its vision — one reason for doing a values assessment in CEO succession.

    Related: How Great Leaders Communicate Their Vision

    3. Create the vision with others

    The best CEOs have a clear vision that’s tied to their values. It isn’t a fully democratic process because the CEO must believe passionately in it. However, it’s essential that the vision is not unilaterally imposed but rather distilled from the contributions of leaders throughout the organization. The first reason is buy-in from everyone else. The entire company needs to feel it in the heart, too. The second reason is that the organization existed before the CEO and will after the CEO, so the vision must align with the entire organization for continuity.

    Related: How to Engage Employees Through Your Company Vision Statement

    4. Make it valuable to all stakeholders

    Some of the most catastrophic events in history have been the result of a psychopath’s vision. Visions can be powerful, influential and morally corrupt — all at the same time. Conversely, real leaders create a vision that benefits the entire ecosystem, where the rising tide lifts all boats and makes the world a better place. Robert House, from the University of Pennsylvania, defined a greater good vision as “an unconscious motive to use social influence, or to satisfy the power need, in socially desirable ways, for the betterment of the collective rather than for personal self-interest.” This is using the will to power for the betterment of humanity, to shape the future, rather than as a source of ruthless evildoing.

    5. Use the vision to galvanize change

    In academia, there’s a close relationship between visionary and charismatic leadership. Consider House’s Theory of Charismatic Leadership, Bass’ Transformational Leadership Theory, Conger and Kanungo’s Theory of Charismatic Leadership, and Sashkin’s Visionary Leadership Theory. They all emphasize how the most effective visions challenge the status quo and inspire evolution. The CEO evaluates the organization and its context, such as its core competencies and competitors, and through vivid mental imagery, paints a picture of the future.

    Since vision is related to influence and change, it’s easy to understand how Kay Whitmore from Kodak and George H. W. Bush had ineffective visions. They were preventative instead of future-oriented and, therefore, neglected to become bigger, faster, stronger, and even something brand new. They were demotivating instead of galvanizing and failed to energize the organization.

    Related: What Is Transactional Leadership and How Does It Work?

    6. Ensure it’s believable

    Visionary leaders are often bold and risk-taking, as well as imaginative. Like a psychic in Vegas, they’re bold enough to think they can see the future and inventive enough to dream up a new reality that challenges today. With this psychology, the strength overused is that visionary CEOs are often alienated from reality. Conversely, the most effective CEOs are versatile enough to, as inherent in Marshall Sashkin’s theory, balance vision with operational actions. Their visions are inventive, aesthetic, imaginative, bold, and innovative but believable and achievable.

    7. Use the vision for strategic decisions

    Another benefit of vision, besides influence, is that it frames consequential strategic decisions. At Netflix, Reed Hastings could have charged ahead with being the number one DVD-by-mail company in the United States. But, as explained in the book CEO Excellence, the new direction was supported by a vision of transformation. “The big strategic moves that followed made sense in ways they would never have otherwise: moving into video streaming, betting on the cloud, creating Netflix originals, driving exponential globalization, and so on.” The vision justified a series of innovations, decisions, and where the company should focus its limited time and resources.

    In all, the CEO’s highest duty is breathing life into the organization, giving it meaning and harnessing the social forces toward a worthwhile future. Only as an aesthetic phenomenon, not one of logic, power, and control, is an organization’s existence authentic and fully realized. Art reflects life, not just beauty, and an organization’s vision reflects its identity and fulfills its purpose, without which it is lifeless.

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    Derek Lusk

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  • How to Unlock Transformative Growth By Embracing Uncertainty | Entrepreneur

    How to Unlock Transformative Growth By Embracing Uncertainty | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the challenging realm of entrepreneurship, change is constant, and uncertainty is expected. It’s not a matter of if, but when, and how you navigate the unknown that defines your journey. Once you learn to accept uncertainty, entrepreneurs and CEOs will discover that it can be a gateway to transformative growth.

    Recognizing the inevitability of uncertainty is a strategic imperative. I have learned that it is not a challenge to overcome; but instead, something to be embraced as a tool for leadership and a catalyst for personal growth.

    As an entrepreneur and capital market expert with over 35 years of experience, I lost almost everything I had built during the Great Recession. It was a period that tested more than my business acumen; it was a profound examination of my resilience and integrity. During that time, the challenges were immense, but in retrospect, the lessons were invaluable. The strategies I learned to employ, the decisions I made and the mindset I cultivated during that tumultuous time continue to be guiding beacons for me in navigating the complexities of today’s business environment. Having been through a time that tested my resilience in business and life, I now understand the intricacies of leading through uncertainty.

    Related: How The Best Executives Show Leadership in Times of Uncertainty

    The inevitability of uncertainty in entrepreneurship

    In today’s business landscape, uncertainty presents itself at every turn. This state of perpetual unpredictability is simply a factor of modern existence in the business world. It is a convergence of factors — technological leaps, global interconnections, economic changes, geopolitical issues and environmental challenges. Together, these factors weave a complex narrative and result in an environment where change is not just a possibility but a constant force that shapes the very fabric of entrepreneurial endeavors.

    Yet, within these uncertainties lies a paradoxical truth — uncertainty, rather than a hindrance, can be a powerful catalyst for innovation and strategic thinking. Uncertainty can be a disruptor of conventional patterns, pushing entrepreneurs beyond their comfort zones and challenging established norms. The very nature of uncertainty demands a continuous reevaluation of strategies, which fosters a culture of adaptive planning and innovation. This can help businesses not just to survive but to thrive in an ever-changing market.

    McKinsey & Company, a beacon of strategic consultancy, echoes the sentiment of embracing uncertainty. Their insights on managing uncertainty in business emphasize the critical importance of preparation for various outcomes. They advocate for a shift toward creative problem-solving approaches and the need for new operating models to respond to extreme uncertainty. Strategic courage, according to McKinsey, is paramount in volatile times, urging organizations to build resilience for an uncertain future. This resonates profoundly with the idea that navigating the uncertainties of today’s business environments necessitates not just traditional strategies but innovative leadership and adaptable approaches.

    Case study in entrepreneurial resilience

    In the tumultuous IPO market of 2023, characterized by fluctuating valuations, tightened access to capital, rising interest rates, bank instability and global geopolitical challenges, several IPOs stood out as beacons of entrepreneurial resilience. One such success story was CAVA Group, Inc. (NYSE: CAVA), a leading U.S.-based restaurant chain that defied the odds and went public in June 2023.

    The IPO of CAVA Group, Inc. exemplifies strategic resilience in uncertain times. Despite the challenging backdrop, the company’s shares experienced a remarkable 37% rise from their initial offering price, signaling not only the market’s strong reception but also confidence in CAVA Group’s business model. Opening at $22 per share and raising $318 million, the IPO closed its first trading day at an impressive $43.78. This success underscores the potential for triumph in a volatile market, highlighting the importance of robust business strategies and adaptability.

    Related: 4 Ways Leaders Can Break Through Uncertainty and Unleash Meaningful Innovation

    How can leaders and entrepreneurs navigate uncertainty in their businesses today?

    Below are some key tips for navigating uncertainty in today’s business landscape.

    1. The power of a support network: The value of a robust support network is unparalleled during challenging times. Insights, emotional support and wisdom from peers, mentors and family form a crucial foundation for successfully navigating uncertainties. A well-established support network offers guidance and solace when it is needed the most, creating a sense of community amid uncertainty.

    2. Valuable lessons from failure: Uncertainty often accompanies failures and setbacks, providing invaluable lessons. These tough moments are educational, teaching resilience, refining problem-solving skills and emphasizing the importance of persistence. Lessons from failure become the building blocks of sustained success and continual personal development.

    3. Managing personal relationships in uncertain times: Navigating uncertain business environments can put a strain on personal relationships. This underscores the importance of maintaining open communication and a healthy work-life balance. Investing time and emotional energy in personal relationships not only strengthens bonds but also contributes to a more balanced and fulfilling life.

    4. Reinvention after setbacks: The journey of self-reinvention following significant setbacks is transformative. It involves reevaluating priorities, setting new objectives and acquiring new skills. Embracing change becomes an avenue for growth, allowing for personal and professional evolution. The ability to reinvent oneself is a potent strategy for thriving in uncertain times.

    As we navigate the complexities of uncertainty, these lessons can provide a transformative perspective. By embracing uncertainty as an opportunity for positive development and growth, individuals can not only weather the challenges but emerge stronger, more resilient and better equipped for the uncertainties that are to be expected as leaders and entrepreneurs. The journey through uncertainty can be a powerful catalyst for personal and professional advancement.

    Related: The 4 Things Leaders Need to Do First When Faced With Uncertainty

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    Peter Goldstein

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  • 3 Ways to Navigate the Journey from Entrepreneur to CEO | Entrepreneur

    3 Ways to Navigate the Journey from Entrepreneur to CEO | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Based on Noam Wasserman’s The Founder’s Dilemma, 4 out of 5 entrepreneurs step down as CEO, either because they discovered they weren’t fit for the role or because investors ousted them from the company. This adds up to the notion that entrepreneurs rarely make good CEOs.

    However, a recent study showed that companies with founder-CEOs were valued 10% higher during IPO. There’s a premium associated with having the founder as the top executive when a company goes public.

    Successful entrepreneur-CEOs, such as Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Larry Ellison of Oracle, led their companies to massive growth before stepping down as chief leaders. I started my entrepreneurial journey at a young age and eventually established Admitad in 2009, which has since grown to become one of the world’s largest partner marketing networks, consistently reaching over 500 million customers globally every month. After years of growing the company and acquiring several businesses, we decided to consolidate all entities under the wing of a new parent company, Mitgo, where I currently serve as the CEO and remain the sole owner.

    Here are my three key lessons for the transition:

    1. Know when to evolve as an entrepreneur

    Entrepreneurs and CEOs have distinct roles. Entrepreneurs are visionaries who create and transform groundbreaking ideas into successful, viable businesses. CEOs, on the other hand, execute the vision and build the infrastructure for the business to succeed, scale and adapt.

    While many entrepreneurs can successfully grow their businesses, they often struggle to move beyond the entrepreneurial level of sustainability. To reach a larger scale, a startup needs a CEO. Embracing this natural evolution is essential for achieving true success.

    To me, the realization came when I noticed a decline in our business’s growth. We needed to transition to another stage of development and implement a management system.

    Recognizing the need for change and having the courage to take action are vital aspects of leadership. To become a CEO, you must develop strengths in structure, organization, and delegation. It’s a cognitive, proactive and deliberate process. It requires learning new skills, adopting new systems, and trusting others to make critical decisions.

    Related: Here Are the Key Traits of a Top-Tier People Leader

    2. Nurture leaders within the company

    Entrepreneurs often start their journey alone. Even when a small team joins, the company structure remains informal, with founders taking on multiple roles. However, as the organization grows, entrepreneurs must relinquish some control by shifting from a hands-on approach to delegating crucial tasks to trusted leaders.

    Becoming that thin throat for everything is not a good thing. To create something great, something bigger, you have to form leaders within your company. Nurturing leaders goes beyond simply assigning tasks to individuals. It involves creating a culture that values and fosters leadership qualities at every level.

    As a CEO, you must empower leaders to make critical decisions, take ownership and drive the company’s mission forward. Decentralization means letting go of a tightly controlled ship that relies on a top-down approach to decision-making.

    Once you stop micromanaging every detail of the company, you can focus on larger strategies to scale your business and ensure its long-term success. To implement this principle, Mitgo now has business units led by specific individuals who act as CEOs of their respective units. They still report to a board but have been trained with the necessary skills to lead.

    3. Build a sustainable business — don’t just create a “cash cow”

    It’s normal for entrepreneurs to build a business to make lots of money. After all, who doesn’t enjoy significant revenue and profitability? So, founders typically focus on quick wins, immediate profits and short-term gains.

    But every visionary entrepreneur should embrace a deeper and more enduring concept: building a sustainable business. We need to build companies that are transferable and will continue to work even when we’re out of the picture.

    It starts with the legal. When the founder is gone, and they are the only founder, the company has no choice but to die. I want my company to live long after.

    Building the legal foundations to make the business transferrable is just the start. As a CEO, you have to pave the road that others can follow without the risk of failure. This means putting signposts to guide them along a clearly designated path. It also means realizing that they all have families and that the decisions you make can impact them.

    Related: 8 Ways to Turn a Good Leader Into an Exceptional One

    The leadership qualities of a good CEO

    Entrepreneurs are born leaders. From an early age, they are inherently creative and possess the skills to make things happen. During the early stages of the business, they lead by example and play a crucial role in driving the team’s success.

    However, transitioning to a CEO role requires additional leadership qualities. Being a good CEO means acknowledging that you cannot do everything alone. You must delegate responsibility and empower the team to take ownership of their work. You must be receptive to feedback and listen to what others have to say.

    In a constantly evolving business landscape, you must be willing to pivot when necessary and make well-informed and timely choices. You should also take accountability for the outcomes of your decisions and stand behind them.

    Furthermore, you should continue to encourage a culture of innovation and proactivity. This includes promoting a forward-thinking mindset and staying on top of trends. As CEO, you must continue to seek out opportunities and address potential issues before they arise. Remember, you are shaping the future of your organization.

    In the initial stage, you are the nucleus that holds the whole team together. At some point, you realize you can’t do it on your own. You take people with good soft skills, teach them the hard skills and give them time to grow. You rely on them to help lead the company while you pursue strategies to grow the business. That’s how you become a CEO.

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    Alexander Bachmann

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