It’s that time of the year again when discussions go-round on what habits are the most useful to become an entrepreneur

 

Entrepreneurial Habits

But in 2021, when a lot has changed and virtual leadership is commonly seen, can we say that there is a shift in entrepreneurial habits for today?

 

The Entrepreneurial Mindset

An entrepreneur sees things differently which is why their mindset is also different from others around them. They remain curious and take the initiatives to build when no one else can. This is primarily why they succeed. 

An entrepreneurial mindset is a set of beliefs, thought processes, and ways of viewing the world that drives entrepreneurial behaviour.

It’s a never-say-no attitude and a firm belief in your ideas. You can fail again and again but you’d always have to find a way to stay optimistic about your vision. Like Elon Musk once said, “If you need encouraging words, don't do a startup” 

Grow, Adapt and Succeed. 

 

Entrepreneurial Habits to cultivate in 2021

Below are the five entrepreneurial habits to inculcate in 2021. However, like anything, these are great add-ons, nothing replaces your PMF (or FMF), business model, and vision for the company. 

 

  1. Sticking with Routine: No one would know chaos quite like an entrepreneur. When everything is constantly changing every minute, a successful entrepreneur knows the value of strict discipline and sticking with a routine. Though being flexible is the best bet against going insane, creating, following and maintaining a set routine helps one understand what’s next and how to tackle it. This also helps them stay on top of things and segregate time for business, family and oneself. 

  2. Stay Ahead of the Curve: COVID disrupted many industries. The current consumer habits also point to a ripe time for a disruption. Ed-tech, Fin-tech and Health-tech are thriving right now because even though the founders didn’t anticipate COVID, they were able to think long-term and anticipate a change in consumer needs. Staying ahead of the curve and thinking about what needs could arise in the future is a must-have trait. The famous billionaire investor Warren Buffett said, “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago”

  3. Leading The Virtual Way: Lack of empathy among founders/industry leaders was a discourse that was brought under the spotlight during COVID. As we proceed to inculcate the benefits of virtual working in our daily life, prioritizing employee needs is also here to remain. Empathizing with your team, especially in an early-stage startup goes a long way. Equipping the office infrastructure and relooking into strategic decisions, keeping in mind the pros and cons of staying virtual is also important in 2021. A collaborative approach and growing with your team is the key to go forward in the long term. 

  4. Prioritize Deep Work: We all know the feeling “This could’ve been a mail” that comes after back-to-back virtual meetings. We’ve also seen many discussions on how deep work is overlooked in the virtual setting because of these unproductive meetings. So going forward, founders who are able to prioritize deep work and cut back on unimportant decisions could be seen scaling heights.  

  5. Publicity Comes from Everywhere: Gone are the days when founders would only have a print or digital news platform to secure coverage for publicity. These days, publicity can also come from getting featured in a podcast, a virtual event, webinar, or a masterclass. In fact, these are better vehicles to reach your focused audience as more people opt out of traditional print/digital media. Networking (or virtual networking) is a great skill to have in 2021 as peer-to-peer learning (especially in COVID times) has become the most fruitful in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.