As entrepreneurs, we face the prospect of failure every day, seemingly with every decision we make. It’s a paralyzing feeling because it threatens our identity.
When something might change the way we view ourselves, we’re conditioned to do anything we can to avoid it.
Failure is frightening, but we must embrace it.
It’s difficult to imagine embracing failure because everything we know and are taught is to mitigate risk. However, every successful entrepreneur has endured some sort of failure on their path to success. They’ve learned not just to push past failures, but to learn from them, take ownership and accountability, and push forward with greater determination than ever.
I coach my clients to face failures head-on by utilizing a model I call ATV – Authentic, Transparent, and Vulnerable. By implementing each of these steps into your life, you will learn how to more effectively embrace failure on your entrepreneurial journey.
AUTHENTICITY
SHIFTING YOUR MINDSET
In order to reach the level of authenticity that allows us to become successful leaders, we must first get real with our true selves and discover our mindset.
- What isn’t working for me?
- What do I want to see happen?
- What is my greatest fear?
The more in touch you are with the true answers to these questions, the more authentic you will become. Every healthy relationship with an employee, customer, prospective client, or really, ANYONE in your life requires authenticity.
I use the Japanese concept of Ikigai to help others discover their truest authentic self. Ikigai is the intersection of what you are good at, what you love, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. My Ikigai is to improve lives, and to bring that to everything I do. It may take time to discover your own Ikigai, but the reward is a deeper understanding of your most authentic self.
TRANSPARENCY
SHARING THE INSIDE-OUT
As much as we all depend on each other as humans, our natural tendency is to protect ourselves by hiding our true selves from those around us. In order to achieve our goals as entrepreneurs, we must be fully transparent.
I’m not talking about broadcasting the details of our private lives to the world. I mean that we have a duty to explore what’s going on inside, and a responsibility to our teams to share the inner workings of our operations.
Knowledge empowers your employees, and helps them understand how their work contributes to the success of the business. The unknown can cause misunderstandings and wrongful assumptions, so being transparent with your team is critical to earning their buy-in.
VULNERABILITY
RISKING EXPOSURE
Learning to embrace and seek vulnerability is a necessary step to designing your life and growing your business. It’s maybe the most difficult part of the ATV model to achieve because it requires you to risk everything and expose your truest self.
Brené Brown has it right. She writes that “vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” To be vulnerable is to go against the common belief that emotional exposure is weakness.
When we open ourselves to being vulnerable, we allow ourselves to see the source of our issues, and discover the central fears that have taken root. Addressing those fears lets us rapidly eliminate roadblocks and make the changes necessary for our personal journey.
EMBRACING ATV
When you are Authentic, Transparent, and Vulnerable, you build healthier relationships, deeper trust, and Massive Accountability in your personal and professional life.
Learning to embrace ATV is part of my 4-step process to help entrepreneurs like you reveal the authentic leader within and achieve your full potential. Schedule a consultation today to grow your business and make a life – not just a living.
