In the business world, there are many traits that can be useful for an entrepreneur, especially when facing problems and dealing with other people. However, some of these traits can lead to the entrepreneur making very horrible entrepreneur mistakes which can lead to failing of deals or simple mistrust. The absolute worst of these characteristics is obstinacy.
What Is Obstinacy?
Simply put, obstinacy is stubbornness. You can see it all the time, from the youngest of children to the oldest of adults. It is a characteristic that may or may not tend to grow as you age, and can take charge in many of the things you do in your everyday life. It can be the best thing about you, or the worst trait you have.
Being stubborn is when you simply do not want to give in. It can be because you are absolutely sure in where you stand, you refuse to deviate from your chosen path, or you simply do not want to think anything else otherwise. For some people, they consider it a good characteristic; for them, it is the same as never giving up.
Obstinacy also has its downside, however. Some view it as being unbendable; you refuse to change your ways or listen to other people’s opinions. Maybe you believe that your opinion is the only right one, and you may be right, but it often puts down the other person’s regard for you. Not many people want to work with someone who makes no move to cooperate or share ideas.
Why Is It The Worst Trait For Entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurs are working hard in their business world, and in an ever changing world where opinions and trends come and go like the wind, it is a hard thing to be the solely unchanging person around. Though being stubborn can be good, like when dealing with people who you know are mistaken or when you want to make an important decision, it is more often than not the cause of many entrepreneur mistakes.
When you are in the world of business, you have to be able to both listen and give opinions. A good entrepreneur is a master at both, and can use the information gained through such ways to further his or her business and progress for the better. However, when you are being controlled by the trait of obstinacy, you will find yourself closed off from the listening part of your job.
New ideas come from, not only you, but from other people. It is hard and rare for a single person to be able to keep a business advancing successfully by their own. A business has to be a growing thriving community, not a solitary island of only one person. Who would want to partner or close a deal with someone who refuses to open their way of thinking or accept any ideas?
How Entrepreneurs Can Deal With It
Being obstinate is one of the worst things that an entrepreneur can be. There is simply no space for it in the world of business since it does more harm than good. In this case, you must be able to control this characteristic, be able to tone it down so that, while you will not lose it completely, you will still be able to use it for the moments when it is needed. Here are some ways for you to keep yourself away from complete obstinacy:
• Listen to others.
It is one of your jobs as an entrepreneur. Listening to others not only gives you important information that you might possibly need at some point in your career, it also gives the person talking a sense of trust in you. You are giving them the chance to speak their thoughts with someone actively listening, and you may be respected for it.
• Be open-minded.
A good entrepreneur is one who can listen and openly discuss the ideas given, not have said ideas fly in you through one ear and then straight out the other. Even if you find yourself reluctant to use the ideas, try bouncing ideas back and forth between you and your partner, and then find a suitable one that meets both your terms. Progress almost always means change.
Controlling Yourself
In the end, entrepreneur mistakes are almost always caused by obstinacy. If you want your business to grow successfully, then you need to be open in your ideas and accept others to improve your own. Make sure that you only use your stubbornness in situations that really need it, and not only when it suits you.