Why ‘Soft Skills’ were essential on my journey as a successful entrepreneur
Becoming an entrepreneur comes with many challenges, most of which can be overwhelming if you’re unbuckling yourself from your desk job to throw yourself into the world of business. Being an entrepreneur is all about weathering the storm and having the strength to do this is essential to the success of any entrepreneur.
Building ‘hard skills’, such as technical skills, analytical skills and management skills are fundamental for becoming a successful entrepreneur but cultivating them can often lead individuals to forget about ‘soft skills’ and their importance.
What are ‘soft skills’?
Soft skills are vital to becoming an entrepreneur, as they allow you to ride the emotional, financial and professional rollercoaster of entrepreneurial life. Skills that may be considered ‘soft skills’ such as basic self-care, personal growth skills, and spiritual practice, form the backbone of a strong entrepreneur.
Over the last seven years, I have had the privilege of speaking at numerous engagements as a mentor, speaker, judge, consultant, panellist, lecturer, and coach on the topic of enabling and supporting entrepreneurship culture around the world.
Through advising hundreds of tech start-ups and investors, I’ve seen firsthand – both in my own experience and others – how important soft skills can be to nurture and grow as a successful entrepreneur and then go on to become a strong leader for the team around you.
Soft skills need to be developed and nourished by an individual before they can be used in business to help the growth of an organisation or company. These attributes help an individual to flourish personally, which then offers them professional opportunities for development as their ability to assess and solve problems solidifies.
How I developed my ‘soft skills’ and how they enhanced my entrepreneurial journey
Firstly to develop these skills, I had to go back to basics. I had to ask myself, how well am I taking care of myself? Don’t underestimate the power of your basic human care. Sleeping well, eating right, and exercising regularly were key to unlocking my full potential and aided me in my decision-making, mental clarity, and overall outlook.
Personal growth skills were another essential step in my entrepreneurial journey. Setting aside time for reading about new trends or following documentaries is a good way to grow personally and unwind. For me personally, travelling was and continues to be necessary in my life as an entrepreneur. Taking in different cultures, seeing different points of view, and constantly learning and adapting to my surroundings have hugely transferred into my work as a serial entrepreneur.
Spiritual practice has also aided me along the way through my journey. This can take many forms based on each person's beliefs and preferences such as reading scripture, meditation, yoga, journaling, daily affirmations, introspection or practising gratitude. This is a way of clearing the mind so you are ready to face whatever may come your way day to day as an entrepreneur.
Through developing my own soft skills, I have founded a global movement that advocates for embodying the lifestyle of success and fulfilment, with the purpose of promoting thought leadership and helping other entrepreneurs develop into the most successful versions of themselves.
Having deeply developed soft skills allows you to bounce back and recuperate from problems you may not have been sure how to otherwise solve. Soft skills encourage the use of adaptability and perceiving problems as challenges to be solved rather than immovable obstacles.
Some of these ‘soft skills’ may seem obvious (like healthy habits) or even basic, but without this foundation, there is no way of being able to withstand the storm of entrepreneurship. I have personally seen how developing my soft skills has helped me become a successful entrepreneur and will continue to develop these skills throughout my career.
