Think like an entrepreneur, Act like an emperor.
Develop an entrepreneurial mindset, become a better leader, and achieve success in your career.
“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t so you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”
Entrepreneurs think of Possibilities, Opportunities and Solutions (POS). The entrepreneurial mindset is the invisible ‘hand’ behind innovation – the ability to apply creative solutions to problems and to opportunities to enhance and to enrich people’s lives. Entrepreneurs are known to be innovators who help advance the cause of humanity by transforming the economy and modernizing the society.
Being an entrepreneur is all about thinking differently, taking risks, and creating opportunities where others see only problems. It’s not just about making money; it’s about creating something of value that can help others and make a positive impact on the world.
Before I delve into the 5G’s of thinking BIG, I would like to point you to the 3C’s of life: Choices, Chances, Changes. You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change. Decisions decide destiny. An entrepreneur sees the 3C’s as an opportunity to fulfill destiny in grand style by thinking big. You don’t have to travel overseas to think rich. To think big is to think qualitatively. It is not about nationality, it is about intentionality. It’s not about colour, it’s everything about your calling – your field of expertise. Remember, you can only be fulfilled in your field. Move your ideas from indoors into industry. Compete with the competent and with a standard of excellence. Move fast, but make great moves – think critically and strategically.
To all entrepreneurs and innovators out there, may the Lord Almighty bless you with product ideas, connect you to people that matter and take you to the places you dream of. Amen. Make this your ‘BEDtime’ prayer (Business, Entrepreneurship and Destiny), as you work on your ideas. Believe that dreams come true, only think big!
If you are not able to think creatively, then forget about creating notable things. To think big is to see prospect in your idea(s) and anticipate nothing but success in your endeavours. Imagination without implementation is a waste of inspiration.
My name is ‘Niyi Kolade aka thinkUP…liberating souls and celebrating solutions.
An entrepreneur is a leader; he sets the pace! An entrepreneur is a thinker; he resets the space! What vision is to leadership is what innovation is to entrepreneurship. Visionary entrepreneurs are “big thinkers” who are passionate about making the world a better place by leveraging the 5G’s model of “big thinking” as follows:
- An entrepreneur generates great ideas – It’s the word ‘generate’ for me, and, this activity of generating creative ideas is quite an interesting one. One may ask – where do ideas come from? How do they morph into innovations, and by extension, become great business opportunities? The secret isn’t far-fetched – to think big means to ‘dig’ deep into the mind, just like the practice in the extractive industries, and extract treasures. It takes the force of creativity to think up ideas and turn them into innovative solutions. A creative idea is a potentially lucrative business opportunity. Now, where does creativity come from? According to Steve Jobs, “Creativity is just connecting the ‘dots’.” In my own view, entrepreneurs are able to generate great ideas as a result of Exposure, Experience and Education. With these keys, an entrepreneur is able to think big and connect the dots with ease, leveraging the 3 E’s.
- An entrepreneur thinks global – Having a global reach is one of the goals entrepreneurs set for their businesses. Thinking big in this regard requires that an entrepreneur designs product in a way that it may be readily consumed across multiple countries. This process is used by companies looking to expand their global footprint beyond their own domestic market understanding consumers abroad may have different tastes or habits.
- An entrepreneur thinks of the next generation – Thinking big is beyond idea generation; it’s thinking of the next generation. Is your idea ‘future-proof’? Will it be relevant to, and serve the needs of the next generation. Generational thinkers sow seeds for generations to come. Generational thinkers think beyond today, they think about tomorrow and years after. Generations today each span 15 years with Generation Y (Millennials) born from 1980 to 1994; Generation Z from 1995 to 2009 and Generation Alpha from 2010 to 2024. And so it follows that Generation Beta will be born from 2025 to 2039.
Generations to come will not be able to meet you but will be able to connect with your legacy. Everyone is to at least affect up to the 3rd generations and beyond. Proverbs 13:22 puts it this way – “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.” The inheritance can be tangible or intangible or both which must make life easier for generations to come. The acid test for useful inheritance is an “evergreen relevance” of an innovation or solution; its newness and genuineness. If posterity cannot relate to it, that means the relevance of the inheritance is not future-proof. Have you ever wondered why someone would enjoy listening to a piece of “old school music” made before he/she was born? It’s certainly traceable to the relevance of the lyrical component of the music to present day realities. Take a cue from this and develop products that meet the needs of the coming generations. Thinking broadly now, I wish to assert that, green innovations are not only environmentally relevant, they are also evergreen and sustainable practices. To think big is to think green! Entrepreneurs don’t just create economically viable products, they also design environmentally friendly innovations.
- An entrepreneur thinks of Gains – Again, entrepreneurship is both about making profit and impact. Business is about profit making. A typical business entrepreneur is primarily in business for financial gains. High margin businesses such as oil and gas, manufacturing, agriculture, education, healthcare and hospitality, and so on are good for entrepreneurs who want to create wealth and employment opportunities for the masses.
- An entrepreneur thinks of Giving back – According to Henry Ford, “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” Giving back to Customers, Society and Religious groups is not only a CSR, it is thinking like a king.
“SOMEONE is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffett
Summarily, to last longer in Business, Entrepreneurship and Destiny (BED), use the 5G’s. Think big, start small, move fast and make great moves. To leave an indelible mark, do incredible things.
“Thinking big helps you think towards Big Steps and, it keeps you focused on more ways to attain a certain goal.I read a book by Ben Carson, Titled “THINK BIG”, and then I realized how successful individuals find their ways to the top. A small thinker will always attract small results, but a big thinker will always attract bigger things. I don’t have a perfect way to tell you to think Big but the best way is to Think Big. Think Bigger and Beyond.” – Excerpts from RE-CALIBRATE | Day 10 of 30
Ezem St-Michael Chibuzor
PS:
To design or create a future-proof product means to make a product or system unlikely to become obsolete or fail in the future.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a strategy undertaken by companies to not just grow profits, but also to take an active and positive social role in the world around them. The term is also associated with the related term corporate citizenship.
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