As I wrote two weeks ago, my back-of-the-envelope maths told me I’d been in around 800 TAB board meetings over the past 13 years. That’s a lot of meetings, and a lot of entrepreneurs, from Rob Brooks – who was there on my first board – to Tiggy Clifford, the latest member to join my one remaining board.
What makes an entrepreneur? It’s a question that must have generated a billion words. Google? Just the 190m answers…
What do I think? I’ve seen entrepreneurs who were ferociously driven: I’ve seen entrepreneurs who saw business almost as an academic exercise. I’ve seen entrepreneurs motivated solely by money: I’ve seen entrepreneurs who looked like they didn’t have the proverbial two pennies to rub together. I’ve seen entrepreneurs who don’t even know what the word ‘introspection’ means: I’ve seen entrepreneurs who question every decision they make.
Every single entrepreneur has been different: but there are qualities they all share. Four in particular…
They’re curious.
‘I’ve no time to see a salesman: I’ve a battle to fight.’ We’ve all seen the famous cartoon. That’s not a mistake an entrepreneur makes.
They are, without exception, curious. More than curious: they’re hungry for knowledge. How can we do it better? How can we provide a better service to our clients? A better product for our customers?
Entrepreneurs like asking questions. They listen to the answers. And they’re not afraid to concede that someone knows more than they do. As Robert Kennedy famously said, ‘Some people see things as they are and ask ‘why?’ Other see things as they could be and ask ‘why not?’’ That’s an entrepreneur talking…
They’re adaptable.
One of the perennial themes of this blog has been change. Change is inevitable – and the pace of change is constantly accelerating.
…And that was before the pandemic presented us with challenges that no amount of SWOT and PEST analyses – even using ChatGPT – could have predicted.
So entrepreneurs have had to adapt, innovate and find solutions to problems they could never have imagined. Every entrepreneur I’ve worked with in TAB UK has done exactly that.
None of your team in the office for three months? OK, we’ll deal with it: in fact, it’ll make us stronger…
Lost two of your best clients on the first day of lockdown? Well, it’s not ideal – but it’s not terminal…
The way that members of TAB UK have adapted, innovated – and dealt with the stress of change – particularly since March 2020 – has been remarkable. ‘That which does not destroy us makes us stronger.’ Never did a group of people more aptly demonstrate the truth of that saying.
They’re persistent.
Persistent, obdurate, tenacious, determined, tireless, resolute – and sheer bloody-minded…
I could have chosen any one of a dozen adjectives, and they’d all have applied equally. It’s now more than three years since lockdown. Never once in that time have I seen a white flag raised, a shake of the head and a look of resignation (apart from those members of TAB who support Leeds, obviously…)
As much as I admire the curiosity and adaptability of TAB members, I admire their persistence even more. Their simple refusal to be beaten, to keep focused on their long-term goals, their willingness to learn from mistakes – and their commitment to helping everyone around the TAB table do exactly the same.
They build great teams.
‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’
I must have used that quotation in one of my first blog posts. It remains a favourite business quotation of mine – and as true now as it was then.
Great entrepreneurs build great teams. They’re not afraid to admit what they don’t know – and they’re not afraid to hire very smart people to plug the gaps. What do they do next? Motivate the team that they’ve built. Set out their vision and communicate that vision. They remember that, above all, the job of a leader is to lead.
Over the last 13 years, how you motivate your team – what employees want from work and life – has changed, which brings us right back to adaptability and curiosity. Successful entrepreneurs are happy to accept that what worked yesterday may not work today. And if someone has a better solution, they’ll listen – and make notes.
Curiosity, adaptability, persistence and building a team. Every entrepreneur I’ve met around a TAB table has ticked those boxes. Meeting and watching them work has been an absolute joy for me.
And by this time next year, I’ll have met several new entrepreneurs through TAB. I know two things with absolute certainty. They will all share those four key characteristics – and it will be a privilege to work with every one of them.
