Entrepreneurial Thinking

Entrepreneurial thinking skills refer to the ability to identify marketplace opportunities and discover the most appropriate ways and time to capitalize on them. Sometimes, it is simply referred to as the ability to find and pursue the problem-solution fits.

Entrepreneurial thinking is the ability to see things differently than the rest of the world but, it is not necessarily an inherent trait and can be easily developed or improved. It is more like a state of mind that opens your eyes to new learning opportunities and helps you grow in your role.

Why is entrepreneurial thinking important

Having entrepreneurial thinking skills and putting them to good use is not important for business owners alone but for everyone pursuing a successful career. Employees with such skills stand out because they tend to think creatively and take ownership of their jobs as well as performance. Following are some benefits of entrepreneurial thinking skills that can translate into employee satisfaction, positive work environment, and ultimately profits for the organization:

• Entrepreneurial thinking helps you stay ahead of others at work. It helps you tackle the ever increasing competition and rise through ranks. Your ability to identify problem quicker and provide solution timely is likely to put forward the best of you in front of your employer.
• It allows for more flexibility in you. Entrepreneurial thinking can change your attitude towards th organization as well as yourself. Through the flexibility that it allows, it enables you to adapt to the changing environment such as the changes in competitive landscape, market dynamics, and consumer trends/demands etc. Little or no time is wasted in resistance towards the change, speeding up your career growth.

How to improve your entrepreneurial thinking skills

Now that we are well aware that entrepreneurial thinking skills are not innate and can be learned, you will find the following tips helpful in your efforts to improve them:

• Be passionate about your work. We all know that passion is the ultimate key to career success as well as contentment. So if you are still spend half of your day at work fantasizing about how you’d rather be working elsewhere, it’s time to consider pivoting your career. There is no need to feel like you are stuck. If you are not passionate about what you do, you should simply shift to another industry, department, or company where your experience and expertise can be put to use in a better way.
• Try to be a risk-taker. Almost all business owners are aware of the phrase ‘high risk, high reward’. What sets an employee with entrepreneurial thinking apart from the average ones is his appetite for risk. Nobody ever said it’s easy to put all you have at stake, but it does pay off! You can start with baby steps e.g. by pitching a new idea or taking up a challenge in the form of a task that is outside your comfort zone. By taking such small risks you are likely to get rewarded in the form of a nod of approval, development of new skills, or even a promotion.
• Last but not the least; dream big! Never limit your dreams because the most important aspect of entrepreneurial thinking skills is the boundlessness that is required. Throughout our lives we are all conditioned to be practical and realistic. The one thing that has the tendency to set you apart is your ability to dream big and think different. That’s where entrepreneurial thinking begins!

Job profiles that require this skill