Becoming More Entrepreneurial

Almost two-thirds of young people say in surveys that their goal is to be their own boss. They want to be in control of their time, success, financial destiny and career path. 

But the reality is that most of them will wind up in entry-level jobs with traditional employers for the first few years out of college. Rather than let a nine-to-five job dampen their hopes, they can use their experience to build and strengthen their entrepreneurial chops. Here’s how. 

Observe how successful people work. Successful people have developed skills to help them achieve their goals and move up in a corporate environment. If you observe closely, you’ll see some patterns. They often show up early and stay later than other people; they’re not afraid to put in the work to make their goals. Their work and success are part of their identity. 

They exhibit discipline in everything they do. From the way they dress and speak to how they prepare for meetings and presentations, you can see they take their job seriously. They conduct themselves like professionals in every situation, exuding the confidence that comes from knowing they’ve earned this role  – and that they deserve to be compensated for it 

Develop a unique skill set. Look at your work and see if there are gaps – tasks, customers or projects that no one else wants. If you can learn to do these things well, you’ll start to build a reputation as a problem-solver, a technical whiz, or a difficult customer whisperer. You may even find that you enjoy the work and the recognition that comes with it.  

Marketing guru Seth Godin writes that next-level uniqueness is called sui generis (one of a kind). He says most people try to get famous first and then work on being unique. But it’s impossible to become unique because you’re famous. Really great people are unique first, doing remarkable work even before they’re famous. He says, “This takes more patience, more guts and a lot more weirdness because the thing you’re doing is actually interesting before it (if you’re lucky) becomes popular.” 

Many successful entrepreneurs are successful because they’ve found their niche. 

Take more risks in your job. Entrepreneurs are, by nature, risk takers. If you’re afraid to take on new tasks, offer new ideas, or push your limits, you’re not quite ready to own your own business. Once you’ve mastered what your job requires and have a reputation for doing it well, you can start to branch out. Take on collateral roles that play to or build your core strengths. Offer your (well-researched) opinions in meetings with management. Try for promotions that may be a stretch for you. 

Risk-taking, like any muscle, can be built by being exercised. Some of your risks may be rewarded, but you must also expect to fail occasionally. (That’s the very definition of risk, by the way.) Getting used to failing and learning to rebound is the best way to prepare yourself for the real world.  

Writer Oliver Goldsmith once said, “success is just a matter of getting up one more time than you fall.” 

Spend at least part of your early career in sales. Sales is one of any company’s most independent, entrepreneurial, and well-compensated roles. Sales teams are given autonomy in deciding how they achieve their goals. They often set their schedules and are judged by their results instead of their hours. 

Sales is one of the essential business skills to master if you want to own your own company someday. Nothing happens in business until a sale is made. It’s also a way to strengthen your confidence, ability to connect with people and reduce your aversion to risk; salespeople don’t take rejection personally. They know there’s another prospect just around the corner. 

If you want to become your boss in the future, practice CEO-level work where you are right now. The results will pay off big when you’re ready to go it alone.