By Ashlie Collins, CEO + Founder of Humane Startup
Overcoming challenges with reframing and self-mastery
It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, how many times you have founded or the economic conditions you are kickstarting in; the journey of Entrepreneurship brings with it a key subset of challenges.
Questions to be answered and decisions to be made.
Like… should you become an entrepreneur? When is the right time? Does your idea have merit? Are you going to go it alone or assemble a team of co-founders? How will power, control and reward be distributed? How are you going to fund your mission and will investors play a role? What hiring decisions will you make? What’s your exit or succession plan?
This is just the shortlist of questions you can anticipate. What about the unforeseen challenges that will present themselves as you navigate your journey?
It’s no surprise that over half of Founders and Entrepreneurs report feeling overwhelmed, burnt and stressed out.
How do you overcome business challenges and answer these questions so that you can be successful?
The answer is surprisingly simple, but does require some deep inner work for its execution.
Reframe each challenge or decision to be made as an opportunity to get to know yourself and what you truly want. Then act in alignment.
I told you it was simple.
Now for the deep inner work.
The first step is always to evaluate or re-evaluate your core-values. I am not talking about performative values to go on a poster and use in hiring campaigns. I am talking about the values left standing when you have dealt with the shame of releasing what you thought should be important and got down to the truth of what actually matters to you.
Ideally, this is a short list of three and will serve as the backbone of your decision making framework: your true North.
Your core values will give clarity on what matters most on your current entrepreneurial journey: wealth or control. They also give you a foundational understanding that drastically improves your ability to address constant change with agility.
Maximising wealth or control is typically a trade off. It’s not always that way, but having both may require you to act in direct conflict with your core values which is not great for your wellbeing, and where we start to see unhealthy coping mechanisms rear their heads.
Now that you are clear on your values and what you truly want from your entrepreneurial endeavour, it’s time to do something that may sound a bit crazy: commit to having no enemies and refuse to fight – with anyone.
I know this seems counterintuitive to anyone with any background in business. We’ve all grown up on the stories of swashbuckling CEOs – often described as ruthless and relentless – who dominate the competition. They have been put on a pedestal as what we should all aspire to be, but the world is changing. It is awakening to the reality that this way of operating and the ecosystems it has created are destroying the planet and the wellbeing of humanity with it.
How can you thrive as a leader in an ever changing business world?
Thriving in the next generation of business is going to require cooperation and introspection.
That’s not to say that you should become ignorant to the competition, policies or world affairs. Instead your response to these external factors should be one that serves you. Instead of becoming consumed by anger, frustration, and competition, you are focused on creative problem solving, impact, true economic growth in the global economy and leveraging – with an open mind – what external factors are showing you about where you need to evolve and innovate in order to disrupt.
To keep on track, you’ll need new tools in your toolkit. Work with a coach, therapist or both, depending on where you are at personally. Don’t let fear prevent you from getting the support you need to embrace and overcome challenges with real positive impact.
Put a supportive, holistic routine in place that upholds your boundaries and makes space for all the parts of you that exist outside of work. Find ways that work for you to create headspace, calm your nervous system and nourish your body and spirit (sorry, if you want to overcome challenges with ease you have to admit you have one and look after it!).
There are different types of meditations. Nutrition, sleep and exercise matter. Your personal relationships do too.
It’s all about mastering yourself, so that no matter the challenge you are in touch with your power, choosing how you receive and respond to it.
If you can do this, challenges will morph into opportunities for you to embrace not overcome – no matter how insurmountable they may seem at first glance!