Are you looking for the secrets to long term business success?
If so, you are not alone, many business owners are. You know that success can be hard to find, and is even harder to keep once you have found it. Businesses who have failed are in the millions and can range from 6-month startups to 100+ year old companies. A great deal of research has been done on elite performers in many professions, and it turns out the secrets are not very hard to find. The top achievers in a variety of different occupations have very similar character traits and mindsets. Qualities and ways of thinking anyone can develop if they are willing to put in the time and effort.
One of the main traits owners know about and think they need is “mental toughness” for business success. It is the rare owner who has not said some version of, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Usually, it is the more popular “just suck it up.”
But, what if mental toughness is overrated? What if it is only one of the secrets and not even the most important?
Like most things in life, there is no “one right answer” to getting what you want, and the same is true with business success. We need several tools in our success toolbox, and it turns out that a healthy mindset is not as important to have as a resilient one. Do not get the wrong idea: Developing a strong character and way of thinking is needed for success, but it is not as vital as developing resilience.
A resilient mindset will create a strong, confident person. One who is capable of handling setbacks, curve balls and difficulties without breaking. Top performers can learn, adjust, fix, recover and benefit from their misfortunes. They know they will always make mistakes, but they try not to make the same ones over and over again.
But, a strong mindset does not usually lead to a resilient one. It is more inflexible, less adaptable and more likely to give up when faced with repeated failure.
We all know a business owner who is so sure he is right that he frustrates key people, managers, employees, vendors, and customers. It is this owner whose company limps along or closes because he refuses to adapt to new ideas, product advances, improved standards of practice, technology innovations and a changing customer base. Think – Blockbuster.
So, now that you know how important resilience is, how do you avoid being that guy? It is possible to reprogram your brain and train your mind to have a more successful way of thinking. Go to “Train Your Mind for Business Success (Part 2)” to see how it is done.
At Cogent Analytics, we never stop looking for ways to improve your business and neither should you. So, check out some of our other posts for helpful business information:
