There is no science behind achieving business success. There is no prewritten formula which if one follows, success will be guaranteed. If there was then anyone and everyone could build great businesses.
But there is an art and there are clear principles that provide succinct and unequivocal guidance which if followed will lift your business to new heights. And it takes a certain kind of leader to be able to discipline themselves and their business to follow this path.
Great businesses are built with a competitive engine at their core.
I have coined the term Entrepreneurs + to describe the community of business leaders who understand what it takes to build great businesses and are pursuing this course.
If you are an Entrepreneur +, you have the right attitude and are business person who:
- Constantly seeks to take your business to new heights.
- Reads and is continuously searching for new ideas you may leverage.
- Seeks knowledge to grow yourself, so you may in turn grow others.
- Is highly competitive, not with others, but with yourself.
- Knows what it is to be a worthy leader.
“When it comes to being an achiever and being successful, attitude is the starting point. And attitude is everything. Attitude is how you view yourself and the world around you. It is a reflection of your self-image – the picture created in your subconscious that influences your entire world and all that happens in it.” – An extract from Achieve – Creating A Life Of Enduring Success.
These types of business leaders inherently understand that in today’s markets you compete around the value you deliver to customers, and to constantly grow that value takes a certain type of business, which in turn, requires a specific type of leader. They understand that if you focus on and chase profit your business will be directionless, but if you focus on value, profit will follow.
Entrepreneurs+ are leaders who adopt the mantra of ‘great or nothing’ as they know that only great businesses yield the rewards and will endure.
“How will you know when you are on the trail to building a great business? Look for the following signs in your business:
- It is delivering greater customer value every day.
- You are finding continuing opportunities for growth and innovation.
- The owners and leaders are thriving in and being fulfilled by their business.
- Employees are passionate about their work.
- Customers just love it.
- It is growing and compounding capital value.
- It is throwing off free cash flow.
- It is highly profitable.
And everyone looks to you for the standard and the next level of customer value. Note also that cash flow and profit are at the bottom of the list and are the outcome of everything else before them.” – An extract from Strategy Play – Crafting Undefeatable Business Strategies.
Business leadership is a never-ending journey of learning and practice as the principles of growing great businesses are applied, and the depth and understanding of the leader and their organisation continually develops and importantly compounds. This is the path for the creation and growth of great businesses.
Active Knowledge Question:
Are you an Entrepreneur +, a business leader who wants to make their business great and nothing less is acceptable?
What action will you take today to start down the path of becoming great – a great leader of a great business?
Want to become a part of the Entrepreneurs+ community? Sign up for my eNewsletter, and join the conversation by sending a question via Ask Richard.
All the best in the success of your business,
Richard Shrapnel
