Colorado is known for its entrepreneurial spirit. To excel in this start-up culture, you have to have business smarts, an understanding of your market, interpersonal skills and the ability to set goals. As you’re developing those hard skills, however, it’s essential to the health of your business that you invest time and resources to grow as a leader.
Here are a few leadership skills that have been critical to my success as an entrepreneur.
Persevere in challenging times.
Starting a business is tough. From rejections by potential clients to financial hurdles to finding the right people, every aspect brings its own unique challenges. Entrepreneurs need perseverance to face the many different obstacles that come their way. To grow your business, you must be willing to invest back in your business, even when challenges come.
Stay teachable.
Remember that even though you’re running your own business, you still have a lot to learn. There are people out there with more experience who can help you to grow professionally and personally.
Find someone whose leadership and expertise you admire, and ask them to mentor you. You’d be surprised how many business executives in this city are willing to mentor up-and-coming leaders and entrepreneurs—even people who are in the same industry! John Beeble, chairman and CEO of Saunders Construction, is my mentor. His willingness to mentor someone who could be future competition speaks to the culture of the business community in our region.
Build and motivate your team.
You can’t do it all by yourself in a start-up. Know and utilize the skills of your team so that you can rely on them and grow your business together.
You also have to have the ability to motivate your team. Signing onto a start-up isn’t for the faint of heart—times of uncertainty will come. As the leader of your business, you have to have confidence in your company’s vision even in those times of uncertainty. You have to communicate that vision to your people on a regular basis to keep them motivated.
Be adaptive.
As most entrepreneurs do, I put a business plan together when I started Sky Blue Builders. Eight years later, my business plan looks completely different than it did when I was just starting out. Once your business is off the ground and you’re out there making it happen, you may identify other needs in the market. You have to be able to adapt and diversify to ever-changing market conditions, as well as the needs of your clients.
With these four leadership skills I’ve been able to keep perspective and move forward. If you run your own business, what leadership skill has been crucial for you?
Mowa Haile is the founder of Sky Blue Builders.