When we think of nature, we often don’t associate it with entrepreneurism. Much the opposite actually. We usually associate entrepreneurism with capitalism and materialism which has a negative consequence on the Earth. However, I’ve recently come to understand that the environment is a superb entrepreneur.
Below are some of the key reasons why Mother Nature is the Master Impresario:
1. You need to make the most of what you’ve got.
Life in the wild is brutal. If you don’t make the most of what you’ve got, you don’t survive. You have to be gutsy and an opportunist. Much like what you need to be a successful entrepreneur!
2. You need to know your environment.
Just like an entrepreneur needs to know the market they operate in so that they can excel, creatures in the wild need to know their surroundings so that they can thrive. Both need to monitor their environment and act when there’s a change in conditions.
3. You need to be willing to take risks.
A key trait of a successful entrepreneur is being willing to take risks. This is just like survival in the wild. There, if you sit back and try to play it safe, you starve to death. Survival means facing the fear and taking risks.
4. You need to focus on what you want.
Living things in the wild do not waste energy worrying about the distant past, future or what others will think about them. They see their lives as having one purpose – to live and live well. That means to live in the moment as best they can. Most entrepreneurs understand the value of this and are careful about what they occupy their minds with.
5. You can’t be self-limiting.
Wild things don’t worry that they are not good enough. They don’t limit themselves in what they can achieve. They give it their all and do the best they can. Anything else is a waste of energy. Much like how great entrepreneurs think.
6. You have to be willing to let go of what doesn’t work.
In the wild, everything accepts that death is a part of life. As in business, sometimes ventures die. Successful entrepreneurs know to take the lessons they can from what went wrong, but then let it go. Holding onto failed endeavours only holds them back from the victories they could achieve in the future.
7. You need to be able to rebirth and start out fresh.
When nature needs to start all over again, it does. Without complaint. And it puts everything it can into making the new life as good as it can. It does not hold back in fear that the same thing will happen again.
8. You need to be pragmatic.
One thing that nature and great entrepreneurs have in common is being fantastic pragmatists. They use whatever is available to them at that point and time to get a job done. Whether it’s obtaining food, building a nest or becoming market leaders in the business world, pragmatism is a necessary quality.
9. You need to use your intuition.
Animals in the wild do not second guess their intuition. They count on it to survive. To be an outstanding entrepreneur, you need to be able to do the same. Part of your non-logical mind knows what the right action to take is in any given situation. It gives you a gut feeling that you can’t quite put your finger on as to why. Nevertheless, you need to learn how to listen to that and act on it when it arises. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world swear by their intuition. Sir Richard Branson is one.
Mother Earth has mastered so many different challenges which face people on a daily basis. We can always look to her for wisdom, no matter what the problem. As Albert Einstein once said “If you look deep into nature, you will understand everything”.
When was the last time you took the time to observe nature’s brilliance?