The Entrepreneur as a Continuous Effective Learner… What’s That?

Monday Message from Jerry Houston, Chairman of HPISolutions

The Entrepreneur as a Continuous Effective Learner… What’s That?

As I sat down to write my first Monday Messages of the New Year, there were a couple of themes I wanted to focus on this month which include the art of Entrepreneurism as well as the idea of being a Continuous Effective Learner.

First, what is an Entrepreneur?  In my book, The Eccentric Entrepreneur, I use the tagline “Daring to be different and building a business through mutual benefit, respect and trust.”  In order to be successful (whether you work for yourself or for someone else) it is essential that you discover your why, your purpose, and live it out in your own, unique way.  It is also essential that you do so in a spirit of mutual benefit, respect and trust.  In other words, in every transaction with others do you consider how the outcome will benefit both sides?  Do you respect the other person, even if you don’t agree with their position?  And, finally, have found a way to trust each other?  Take a minute to think about any relationship you have in your life, personal or professional, and ask yourself what the quality of that relationship is if there is no trust between you.

Second, What is this Continuous Effective Learner thing that is the title of this Monday Message?  Try this definition on:

Continuous learning refers to the ability to continually develop and improve one’s skills and knowledge in order to perform effectively and adapt to changes in the workplace.

Folks, we live in the information age.  We are bombarded with changes at a breakneck pace.  If you do not practice the idea of continuous learning, you will quickly discover that you are out of step with the rest of the world.  Have you made a place in your life where you are learning something, reading something, considering something, and/or experiencing something new every day?  Besides the fact that it is necessary, it can also be very fulfilling.  There is an abundance of new ideas, concepts and developments going on around us all of the time.  Never stop learning and growing.  It is the key to being a successful entrepreneur in your own business, or that of your employer.

Have a Great Week!