How Thinking Like an Entrepreneur Advanced My Career

Career · Mindset

By Feras Asakrieh · 5 min read · Issue #28

At some point in your career, you probably believed that if you worked hard, kept your head down, and trusted your boss, your career would move forward. This never worked for me. Yes, working hard has given me a good reputation, but it has never been the reason for any of my promotions.

What really worked for me was simply operating like an entrepreneur in corporate settings, embracing an Entrepreneurial Mindset at every job I had.

Step 1: Be a Problem Solver Right Where You Are

Entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for problems to solve. They don't wait for someone else to fix things. They take the initiative. In every job I had, I always looked for issues the team had and worked hard to find a solution. My trick was to identify the issue, propose the solution, and be the one to implement it.

Step 2: Look for Cross-Functional Projects

Every promotion I received throughout my career was after leading a big project. This is the easiest way to show the leadership team that you are able and ready to take on more and demonstrate leadership because you were able to influence people on the project.

Step 3: Embrace Risk and Innovation

I've never turned down the chance to lead initiatives with uncertain outcomes. Regardless of the outcome, one thing remained constant: each venture ended with me moving up the career ladder.

Step 4: Don't Stick Around When It's Not Working

Entrepreneurs know when to pivot. I gave every job I had enough time to see if things would improve. The minute I realized it wasn't moving for reasons I couldn't control, I left. I didn't waste time waiting for miracles to happen.

Working hard alone is not a recipe for success. The fastest way to a promotion is to demonstrate that you can do more and have more to give.

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