“Quick fail; learn fast. ”
It's a mantra we've heard many times over the past decade, especially as startup culture has entered mainstream consciousness, but part of me has always wondered how many of us actually took it to heart. During my own corporate career, which has had both spectacular successes and failures, I have been forced to face my mistakes and get out of them as quickly as possible. However, I have also seen how easy it is to follow a rhythm and get stuck in a professional rut.
A few years ago, as my company approached its 25th anniversary and my children died. away in college, I began to wonder:Can we transfer this mantra to higher education to create entrepreneurial-minded students who will eventually become highly effective professionals?
To answer this question, I returned to my alma mater, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and started a conversation that would change everything. This conversation evolved into UMSL Accelerate, a university initiative in which students learn from teachers with decades of real-world entrepreneurial experience in order to advance their careers faster.
End of business as usual
When we examine the coverage of higher education in the media, we can see a common theme:it is broken. Student debt is at an all-time high, and it appears that degrees, by themselves, are losing value as companies seek candidates with proven experience and applicable skills. In fact, the World Economic Forum has found that, by 2020, problem solving, creativity and negotiation will become the skills most in demand by employers.
In short, higher education is ready to be disturbed.
So when I approached the Dean to discuss my idea for UMSL Accelerate, I knew that, for nothing else, it had to be action-oriented. I wanted to focus more on mastering and applying soft skills than memorizing and regurgitating theories. It was counter-intuitive to the current system, but the timing was right and the university leadership team was on board.
Our goal is not just to get entrepreneurs out. In fact, we know that not everyone is supposed to start a business. However, the same mentality that makes a good entrepreneur also makes a good employee. Whatever their ultimate goal, the real-world wisdom and experience students gain from learning to think like an entrepreneur equips them with the skills they need to achieve it.
Encouraging the Entrepreneur Within
Being entrepreneurial doesn't mean you have to be your own boss. It simply means using your creativity, experience, and emotional intelligence to solve problems, learn quickly, and lead new ideas.
For some people, that means starting their own business or creating their own niche, but for others others, it means changing companies, achieving that promotion, or pursuing a new career, even if they're not completely confident about it. If you're considering a career leap of faith, consider these three tips:
1. Be deliberate.
Entrepreneurs are great at “jumping” innovation:identifying a problem and working to solve it. But they also understand the value of risk mitigation because most are short on time and money. Similarly, whether you're considering quitting your job or interviewing for a position that seems slightly out of reach, you need to mitigate your risk by linking your vision to a set of achievable benchmarks.
So ask yourself:Can I commit 10 hours each week to pursue my next great adventure? Can I commit $100 a month to develop new skills, do research, and reach my goal? Sticking to this process gives you the discipline, accountability, and enough skills and resources to give you a huge advantage. It will also help you combat the incredibly strong inertia that keeps us on the path of least resistance.
2. Learn to crawl first, then walk.
I understand all too well the urge to sprint towards your goal, but challenging yourself is absolutely essential. You don't want to quit your job if you have no other choice, so learn to crawl first, then walk.
I always encourage my students to learn everything they can about walking. entrepreneurial mentality and then go on to pursue a career. Get real-world experience, deal with difficult people, develop professional instincts and build your network. I cannot stress enough how essential it is to engage with your professional community. This will be one of your strongest assets to finally see that big, hairy, bold goal come to fruition.
3. Execute when you're ready.
Once the time is right – you've built a strong network, fostered important soft skills, done the right research, etc. – you can finally run towards that goal you've been waiting for.
This same formula is how I successfully launched UMSL Accelerate. Once I decided it was a good idea, I crawled towards it exploring the possibilities with university leadership. Then I walked a bit by signing on to college as a part-time consultant. When the initiative gained enough traction that I could work on it full-time, I sprinted to make it a reality and began hiring other teachers to supplement our staff.
Being an entrepreneur is no longer a profession, it is a way of being . I undertook my own career transition from entrepreneur to educator so that I could nudge students into the entrepreneurial spirit more quickly. You too can pursue your next great career by applying the lessons of entrepreneurship today.
Related: 4 Steps to Successful Career Mapping
