inspire
Build and lead teams, set culture, and communicate your vision; inspire others and pitch effectively.
Self-Mastery
Of all the skills entrepreneurs need, self-mastery may be the most important. Leading a venture—building a team, setting pace, and managing operations—starts with knowing your own strengths, weaknesses, stressors, and blind spots. It’s hard work, but true success begins with understanding and knowing yourself.
Team Building: Culture, Vision, Mission, Values
Successful entrepreneurs understand that the only things they can completely control in building a Venture is who they hire, and how their team agrees to hold each other accountable. Getting the culture right doesn’t guarantee success, but it definitely maximizes success’ likelihood. Clearly articulated shared values serve as a North Star for organizations navigating the tumult of early-stage chaos, unexpected market shifts, and growth.
Building, managing, and fairly compensating a team are all key parts in stewarding a dynamic company culture where people can grow and do their best work.
Leadership, Management, Operations
Entrepreneurs need to understand the important differences between Leadership and Management, and where their personal strengths lie (being a successful Entrepreneur doesn’t always equate to being a scalable Leader or effective Manager). Entrepreneurial strengths often don’t align perfectly with the Management needs of a Venture, so it’s essential to understanding what Management and Leadership skills need to be recruited for, at what time, to maximize the success of their venture.
How do the doughnuts actually get made every morning? Who is responsible for what? Who collects the payments? Who handles payroll? How does sales know what to sell? How does Product know what to build? Not all Entrepreneurs are Operators, but all Entrepreneurs need to understand what goes into actually running the venture, what skills they need to recruit for, and how they measure success.
Ethics and inclusion
The most effective Entrepreneurs see ways to deliver value that elevates all stakeholders, levels the playing field, and creates opportunities. In this age of radical transparency, “winning the right way” is not only the highest net present value path, but also the only way.
Storytelling, pitching
Effective communication skills are absolutely essential to the Entrepreneur. Compelling and persuasive storytelling motivates Partners, co-Founders, prospective new hires, Customers, and Investors. Humans connect through stories, and understanding how to craft your message to meet the audience where they are and motivate them to your side is an invaluable skill that all Entrepreneurs need to cultivate.