Circa 2018 and the world has far more entrepreneurs than it ever did. When it comes to talking about entrepreneurship and its true values we go into a mindset that is confined to academics and achievements, global competitions, new technologies, rising expectations of societal impacts etc; rather than focussing on experiences and collaborations.
Our experiences shape our worlds, but before we embark on that journey; we usually have a sense of ‘purpose’ to be able to feel into the future. To be able to know that it will bring change or even disrupt a conventional way of living, working, thinking and being. An entrepreneur dares to go beyond the confines of comfort and is usually someone who defies conventional norms, and is not afraid to rock the boat even if needed.
Entrepreneurs are not some mythical creatures or legendary superhuman beings but simply those who live by a code of ethics and Values in a world where choosing to be ignorant and living in one’s self made bubble has become the norm.
Success is not the end goal and is a very relative perception for any true blue entrepreneur as it’s not possible for any entrepreneur to succeed monetarily/financially in every venture. Attitude is everything and most entrepreneurs display a level of courage and a willingness to learn from their so called ‘failures’ which goes beyond conventional work styles.
Let’s look at some VALUES that Entrepreneurs live by not just in their work spheres but in every aspect of their lives.
PURPOSE-
A life lived without purpose is a purposeless life and this is an adage that is a strong reminder for entrepreneurs to stay on point. Entrepreneurs thrive on Vision- a vision that gives them a sense of purpose to be able to go beyond themselves and make it all about the larger- a community or a city or a country and perhaps even the world. When their purpose to contribute something meaningful comes through their work- whether it’s a brand they are building from the ground up or whether it’s a service/product that they feel will change things for the majority of people- they find the strength to go through anything. This Purpose becomes their Fuel, their raison d’être to keep going even when it seems challenging and logic dictates for them to quit when they cannot seem to find any light at the end of the tunnel. In purpose one knows there is no time to waste and yet there is no rush to get there as the unfolding process of it all is equally important.
COMMITMENT-
Most think It’s all about hard work and graft. But Commitment goes beyond just putting in the time. Commitment is about bringing focus with your All to each and everything one does. Entrepreneurs who know this go the distance and are able to surmount their fears even if they feel disheartened at any point because their level of commitment is far more powerful than the failures or let downs they may experience along the way. It is not easy to start from the ground up and grow to have a business venture that needs many hours of hard work, and most importantly an energy of co-creativeness. Most Entrepreneurs will always talk about their team and how important teamwork is for continued growth and success of their vision. Staying committed to each other as the brand vision develops or the company grows is a value that not only reflects on the kind of entrepreneur one is but also is the connection that only becomes better and stronger with time.
UNDERSTANDING-
Being an entrepreneur means taking hard decisions, facing rejections and staying detached to the outcome of it all even though there can be a very strong attraction to stay attached emotionally because of the kind of time one invests in. In fact observing from a detached place gives any entrepreneur a deeper understanding of the larger machinations at work and this in turn fuels one to be able to navigate through the most challenging of circumstances and the fortitude to be able to stand steady. Understanding also opens the doors to be able to forge deep relationships with one’s team, clients and the world in general because it frees up the space that can otherwise be taken up by one’s self doubt issues, constant comparing of oneself to another’s achievements, and being driven at the cost of everything else. In fact there is this prevalent conditioning of the mind set that if one is not driven, if one doesn’t sacrifice one’s time with family and loved ones, or one’s own health and wellbeing etc then one is not driven enough to achieve one’s goals. Au contraire all of the above so called false ‘qualities’ that an entrepreneur must have; give rise to far more bad decision making, emotional and physical turmoil and irresponsible actions that then only become all about the self instead of the vision one originally set out to bring through.
RESPONSIBILITY-
This is about constantly reviewing one’s decisions not from a place of doubt; but from upholding Responsibility as a value that becomes part of the brand/company culture. Responsibility begins from top down. An entrepreneur needs to walk the talk and reflect by his/her own living ways the values that they wish to see in their fellow team/company members. When we show up each day with more and more responsibility- for everything around us, from showing care in our work environments, in our homes and cities and a willingness to deal with openness and honesty in our relationships we actually have the power to changes things around us for the better. Entrepreneurs who live by this value know very well that they expand this circle of responsibility from the inside out and this in turn affects how one’s brand/product/service is perceived by the relevant target audience.
AWARENESS-
This value/quality is by far the most important as being aware means being responsible for one’s thoughts words and actions and being understanding of others’ challenges and limitations. If we learnt to listen more and more to our inner voice which usually is never in the head but more of a feeling in the body; then we deepen our ability to tap into a vast pool of wisdom and knowledge that guides us to our best possible intentions. Being Aware simply means being open, being non judgemental and being willing to learn each moment- everything that that moment brings.
Awareness goes beyond knowing how a brand’s product/service will affect the consumer but actually being able to see into the future and knowing that lives can be affected for good better or worse in the consumptions of that.
Entrepreneurs face many challenges constantly in being able to sustain themselves and their levels of motivation, dedication and passion but upholding these values can be a very simple and awesome process of unfolding from moment to moment.
At Elixir we live and work with these values constantly; the world needs it badly and more so the world of digital and tech.
Do you share our vision? Let’s connect, let’s share our experiences and let’s explore the potential for collaboration. Together we can make a difference.
Are you going to lead this change? Are you a leader or a management consultant or a company that would like to know more on how to bring about a model that is capable of bringing this future to the present. If so get in touch with us. Our brand founder and author of this blog Chetan Jha is leading not just change but also innovation across the board through best practises that echo compassion understanding and reflection. To know more, email us: [email protected]