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by Joe Bryant
Joe Bryant is a guest contributor to For Renegade Entrepreneurs Only
Any soul bold enough to have ventured into the realm of entrepreneurship can no doubt testify that the public education system falls quite short when it comes to preparing the young for various forms self-employment and entrepreneurship. Such skills and topics not addressed by teachers or text-books must be learned either via classic trial and error coupled with reflection or with the aid of a reliable mentor that has seen a thing or two in his/her time.
This brief list of three describes just a portion of these skills and how they can be leveraged to maximum benefit for any hungry entrepreneur. Despite the apparent value of these concepts they are not taught during some of the most formative years of a child's development.
1) Persuasion
One may excel in any English class and have quite the grasp of the language and still not understand how powerful of a tool communication skills can be when utilized properly. This particular talent can be a subtle game changer that has valid applications in various walks of life. Persuasion is the ability to get another to adopt your perspective of a situation.
It makes sense that embracing deliberate persuasion aids the ambitious sales guru-to-be but few often realize just how handy a silver tongue can be. The outcome of a host of precarious situations really can hinge on your ability to get another involved party to see things your way. I’m sure anyone in customer service can testify to that statement. Be it recovering a prized client or bailing an ally out of a debacle, having this card in your deck is beneficial for yourself as well as those around you. Unfortunately there is no Persuasion class throughout our public school years. Sharpen this tool and wield it to ensure completion of your endeavors!
2) Long-term Strategic Planning
In my brief experience with the public education system the only real suggested path or plot in terms of long term strategy essentially consisted of finishing school, going to college, then getting a job. Such lackluster plotting simply does not work for the ambitious entrepreneur. The idea of setting time specific goals then plotting the course on how to achieve them in a set time frame is vital.
This ability is a critical component to not only develop in one’s self, but also to keep a keen eye for as you build your team. The effect can be exponential when a handful of hungry souls gather for what is often referred to as a “brainstorming session”. Before any large play is made in any arena a potent long-term strategy session will be held by those that have proven their value. Deliberately developing this skill and transforming it into habit will ensure you bringing value to whatever operation you lend your talents to.
3) Team-building and Collaboration
In the classic school setting these concepts are often labeled as “cheating” and heavily discouraged. Students are isolated and forced to perform individually more often than not. We should all know by now that the greatest leaps of progress in business, for all of humanity really, have been borne of collaborations performed by groups of driven individuals that are each possessed of skills, perspectives and talents the others lack.
Connecting with people of similar ambition and goals is vital for any operation looking to expand and conquer. Having allies that can be relied upon to not only hold up their end of the project but are also possessed of the desire to take it to new heights is absolutely crucial in the growth process. Building a team that consists of a variety of backround can be what sets your organization apart from competitors that are all mired in a single pattern of thinking. The importance of keeping your fellow play-makers close at your side and varied in strengths cannot be stressed enough!
Though there are many more such skills that are hard-won out in the fray I have found these three to be frequent topics of discussion amongst my peers and thought a share was in order. Pursuing self-education on these topics can be the factor that sets you apart from your competitors. A rookie would do well to have these topics introduced to their philosophy as early as possible and the veteran that is well versed can always stand to brush up on these skills.
As these valuable assets are not so easily handed to us we must embrace the discipline and the diligence to learn these skills where we can. Pay attention to worthy mentors. Read books and listen to audio books put together by those that have achieved a noteworthy level of success. Force yourself to have the awareness to learn from your experiences as they occur and deliberately wield that new-found knowledge in your next endeavor.
“Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, and add what is uniquely your own” – Bruce Lee
About Author
Joseph Bryant is a mysterious writer wrapped in an impenetrable cloak of mystery. His true intentions are never clear. He may or may not be lingering in dark areas near you, pursuing unfathomable objectives. Some say that Joseph Bryant can speak with the dead. He once fought a bear to the death, but does not like to brag about it. Having such pristine perception, he sees more in a day than many will in a lifetime. If a survival situation occurred in which there were a shortage of food, Joseph would eat you in order to survive. Being of keen intellect, he would then fashion useful tools from your bones and teeth. Such is his will to carry on and progress. Joseph is the Director of Marketing for GreenLight Construction Group, a Free-Lance Journalist, feisty entrepreneur, and an aspiring novelist.