There are many reasons why you might want to learn what it takes to have a winning business mindset and be able to think like a professional business person.
Whatever your motivation, a winning business mindset doesn’t happen by accident. The best business professionals work at creating a mindset that sets them apart from the crowd. The College of Adult Learning has worked with many successful business experts over the years and mentored thousands of students in developing winning mindsets to help them start a business.
Here’s our breakdown of what it takes:
Confidence is contagious. Janine Allis, Boost Juice
Confidence goes beyond ‘fake it til you make it’ thinking. Confidence is knowing you are making it happen every day. Confidence is taking control of your goals, aspirations, and career, and enrolling others into supporting you along the way. There are many ways to become confident. Every day extend your comfort zone by doing something that is difficult or new. Learn to ask yourself better questions – instead of saying, ‘I wonder why that didn’t work out,’ ask yourself, ‘I wonder how many other ways I can find to solve this problem.’
As much as you need a strong personality to build a business from scratch, you also must understand the art of delegation. Richard Branson
Every successful business professional has a network of people around them assisting them to get work done. Understanding how to hire and manage people, delegate effectively, and create a team culture is fundamental to business success.
Focus on being productive instead of busy. Tim Ferriss, author ‘The 4-Hour Work Week.’
Smart business minds know how to work less while doing more. There are many resources that assist teams in doing better work. Business tools such as Xero online accounting, Slack collaboration messaging, Basecamp project collaboration, Manage Protect document sharing and Office 365, all make the art of doing business easier and will help when you start a business. These tools free up time for the important and productive work of conceiving and achieving goals.
Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. Tony Robbins
Every business has a leader, and a visionary leader has big goals. As well as business goals, it’s important to have personal goals. How do you want your career to develop? What core values (such as freedom, security, family or wealth) get you out of bed each day? Where do you want your important relationships to be 365 days from now? When you know what you want, you can then set out a road map for making it a reality. You will be happier at work and at home.
Most of my success has come down to basic concepts and good preparation. Mark Bouris, Yellow Brick Road
There are fundamental business processes that you need to understand to secure a business mindset. Operations, financial management, risk assessment and project planning are all essential basic concepts that underpin a successful business. Knowing the basics helps you to make better decisions. You can learn from podcasts, books, online seminars and attain business qualifications that will prepare you for the challenges and growth inevitable in every good business.
Success flows when you throw yourself in and have a go – mistakes and all. Emma Isaacs, Business Chicks
Learning how to assess risk and make the most of opportunities as they arise is a key mindset to acquire. You will make mistakes, however, you can learn how to correct, rebound and take advantage of mistakes. Every mistake will make you a better business person, as long as you can recognise what went wrong and plan how to do it differently the next time.
You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. Lorna Jane, Lorna Jane Active Wear
Every great business professional started from where you are now. Whether you are at the beginning, in the middle, or even close to the end of your business dream, there is someone who has been there before you and made success happen from that very place. Every day in business is a new day, a chance to go again and keep going. A chance to press restart and get back in the game. Greatness is waiting for you, you only need to commit to taking the next step.
