Your Mindset Directly Impacts Your Business Growth
It is often easier to coast through life being a reactor to circumstances rather than being a deliberate creator. However, when you are in business, your mindset is not only reflected in the decisions you make but everything else that is influenced by your decisions. You can imagine the snowball effect!
Having worked closely with founders for over a decade I’ve seen many patterns in mindset and beliefs. Whether their business flourished, stayed afloat, or ceased to exist entirely, was based on those patterns. Unfortunately many were not able to make the connection as to why things didn’t work out and how their mindset and beliefs were actually the initial point of the snowball effect. On the other hand, others who were able to look in the mirror, pivot internally, and adjust their actions, saw their business skyrocket.
Conscious entrepreneurs have missions and intentions to impact the world beyond the financial bottom line. During that business journey of making things happen externally, it is just as crucial to evolve internally in tandem. I always thought leaders that can look inside themselves and do some ‘housecleaning’ on a regular basis, are more apt to handle the growing pains and challenges of building a conscious-based business.
Here are a few common patterns (that limit growth) I’ve noticed during my time working alongside entrepreneurs.
Passion and Control
This can be someone who decides to launch their business bursting with passion. They want everyone to be a customer. They handle most of the business aspects on their own. In fact, many prefer to be in control of every aspect of ‘their new baby.’ Instead of opening up to the possibility of finding a support team, they work themselves to the ground, only to see their passion fade from the burnout. At this point, it would be more productive to dig inside and see why they need so much control and upgrade that belief to something like ‘the results of my business is more important than my control of my business so I need help and it’s ok.’
Resistance to change and evolution
Entrepreneurs get stuck in what worked for them at an earlier stage of business development, thinking it will work in the middle stages. As the business picks up speed with more demand, increased revenue, the ‘command ship’ is bursting at the seams trying to keep up. The entrepreneur is ecstatic and wants the team to work faster. The team recommends hiring more people or creating automated systems. However, the entrepreneur is reluctant to increase overhead costs (since it wasn’t needed to get this far.) At this point, the beliefs and mindset can vary from fear of change, fear of setback, fear of letting more people in the circle, fear of relying on technology, to fear of being more successful. (Yes, that is a thing!)
Building an empire from the ground up will have different sets of challenges at different times that will poke and trigger an entrepreneur. Be curious and see why you resist it. It’s most often a clue to healing a belief that is not serving you.
Reluctance to recognize limitations
Entrepreneurs believing in themselves so much (a great thing) however, is not open to having a coach be their objective sounding board. Entrepreneurs are trail blazers and understandably, some may feel they can handle their own growth ‘just fine’. Common mindset and beliefs here are: needing to control how things happen, fear of someone else pointing out their ‘weakness,’ fear of having to be accountable. Fact is, we all have blind spots. I believe it’s detrimental not to have a business and mindset coach when you are making an impact. How can you afford to have any limiting beliefs hold you back when you are creating lasting change? Let someone help you evolve past those beliefs.
Afraid to be vulnerable
Entrepreneurs like the idea of being seen as a particular ‘guru’ or expert but it comes with a responsibility to apply the lessons to thy own self. The coaching industry has exploded since the early 2000s, and many have adopted the belief that being successful means that they have to be perfect. They preach all the right things, yet when the ‘cameras’ are not rolling, have a hard time applying what they preach to themselves. I believe the best advice comes from someone who understands their own shortcomings and isn’t afraid to admit it and do their own work, not to mention the respect and relatability that comes with it. The unconscious belief of ‘not being enough’ is one of the main culprits that entices someone to create and maintain an identity that they can’t live up to in their own mind. The strength to be vulnerable and address that painful belief, heal it, and be real is very powerful.
As conscious entrepreneurship continuously grows, I urge all of you to be courageous in evolving your mindset and beliefs alongside your business development. The world needs that kind of foundation. We need more authentic leaders standing in their own power but not afraid of collaboration and personal growth.
Author: Beverly Isla
