Editor’s note: This article was first published in May 2010. The text calls Trump “the billionaire businessman and current president”, wording added after he took office in January 2017, so “current” does not match the publication date and depends on when the article is read.
An entrepreneur’s mindset shapes everything they set out to do. I studied the lives of more than 50 successful business people and followed their advice, and each of them had something to say about the entrepreneurial mindset. But the one who, in my view, sums it up best is the billionaire businessman and current president, Donald Trump.
Think big! That was the phrase Donald Trump treated us to.
If we have to think anyway, we might as well think big. Let’s try to swap that “well… maybe it’ll work, let’s give it a go and see what happens” for “I’m going to do it and I’m going to pull it off“.
1. Be conscientious
Chance won’t get you anywhere. Everyone forges their own destiny.
2. Build momentum and keep it going
You need big ideas, but also the energy to make them happen.
3. Stay focused
As soon as you lose focus, you also lose your momentum. Many talented people have failed because they couldn’t stay focused.
4. Always look at the solution, not the problem
Whatever you do, challenges and problems will always come up. That’s part of life, of business and of anything worth doing. If you let problems get in your way, they’ll grow bigger than your idea. Always keep your focus on solving the problem.
5. See an opportunity for what it is: an opportunity
Take the time to see each day as a new chance to learn. Open yourself up to new ideas and you’ll soon be creating new opportunities of your own.
6. Learn everything you can about what you’re doing
Know what you’re doing, learn something new every day (techniques to improve, values to live by) and, above all, become a great professional.
7. Feel lucky, be lucky
The harder you work, the more “luck” you’ll have. Love your work, and the effort and hours you put into it won’t weigh on you. If you don’t like what you do, find something else, or do it part-time until you can do it full-time. You’ll never be happy or feel successful if you don’t love what you do.
8. See yourself as the winner
See problems as challenges and enjoy solving them. Before any kind of negotiation, analyze and study every possible angle and anticipate what might happen; that way you’ll see yourself as the winner before you even start. That will clear any trace of negativity from your mind.
9. Be smart
Stay open to new ideas and to innovation. Being smart means not longing for what you don’t have, but using what you do have to succeed.
10. Never give up
The biggest losers in the world are the ones who quit. Never give up, however many difficulties come your way.
Part 2: Donald Trump for entrepreneurs: the secret of business
Further reading
- How to start a business with no money
- Why new businesses fail
- If you have a business idea, how to make it happen
- Tips for running your own company well
Featured image: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
