Five Career Lessons From Successful Founders

The idea of starting a business can be daunting. At the same time, the process of managing the business could create many sets of challenges. From developing competitive products to finding early customers, creating a successful business is not an overnight job. These are the five key lessons from successful founders that you can apply when managing your business.

Jeff Bezos once said, “If you're not flexible, you'll pound your head against the wall, and you won't see a different solution to a problem you're trying to solve.” There is a common theme among successful founders: adaptability. You have to be adaptable when you fail, and you may fail multiple times before reaching a successful outcome.

In addition to adaptability, the founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams advises new entrepreneurs to “Just start.” She added that if we overthink the process, we will just get overwhelmed. If you have the passion for starting up a business, stop waiting for the perfect moment; start today.

According to Reid Hoffman, the founder of Linkedin: “No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you're playing a solo game, you'll always lose out to a team.” Indeed, good old-fashioned teamwork can take your business further than when you're alone. Delegating tasks, trusting your teammates and being open to new ideas from the team can do wonder for your business venture.

Besides that, the co-founder of Google, Larry Page, believed that we should always exceed expectations set for ourselves. By doing ordinary work, we could not achieve more than an ordinary career. If you want to achieve more, you have to go for the extra miles than an average person.

“What you believe, remember, you can achieve,” said Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics. When you restrict yourself with negative self-talk, you will become more unproductive and less ambitious. You have to shut down your inner critic and believe in your abilities to achieve your goals.