Resilience

When asked recently if I could describe the attribute that is most important to becoming a successful entrepreneur the word that came to mind was “resilience”. I don’t hear it talked about much in the context of entrepreneurship, but I think it perfectly captures the combination of the ability to bounce back from the adversity, challenge and failure that goes hand in hand with being an entrepreneur while at the same time recognizing and learning from your mistakes. The best entrepreneurs we work with have an uncanny ability to face challenges head on, recognize where they’ve made mistakes, learn from them and move on. That last part is critical – dwelling on your prior mistakes serves no one, slows you down and makes you less likely to trust your future decisions. Great entrepreneurs learn, bounce back and then go on to the next thing.

One parting thought: the truly outstanding entrepreneurs aren’t just resilient themselves, but instill resiliency throughout their organization. It’s one thing for you to move on, it’s entirely another for you to develop a culture in your business where everyone does.