Teaching some of the essential skills that entrepreneurs need to succeed in business to children at a young age can pay massive dividends, as it can not only help them be better people and be better at understanding others around them but it can also teach them about how best to tackle situations in the future. Knowing how to handle success or failure can be a great asset for anyone to possess. Richard Branson put it brilliantly, when he said: Life experiences can be the biggest lesson that anyone could ever take in learning how to succeed in life. The latest infographic from Pumpic, the cell phone monitoring app, have looked at 8 entrepreneurial skills that can be easily taught and introduced to the children around us to help them prepare to take on their own life experiences.
1. Resilience
Developing a thick skin is essential for anyone to get by in life. There will always be setbacks and hurdles that we will need to overcome and accomplish so be able to have the determination to get back when suffering a blow will be a great skill to have. To inspire this amongst children allow them the opportunity to express their emotions without minimizing their feelings. There are a number of apps out there that can help children to understand their negative feelings and can in turn help them turn them into more positive feelings. – Jamais Cascio
2. Innovation and creativity
Having the ability to think outside the box will able to help anyone solve complex problems and come up with the correct solution needed. Any entrepreneur out there needs to have the creative thinking and understanding to be able to make their place in business. Children can develop their innovative and creative streaks by simply playing. Children engage all of their creative energies when they play. Just make sure it’s not limited to just PC or mobile games, mix it up a bit and let them think and come up with own ideas.
3. Industriousness
The best entrepreneurs need to have a good working mentality and to understand the value of hard work. To build a strong work ethic among your children, be sure to build independence by giving your kids select chores and duties to do. By giving them the responsibility to get things done they will understand how much it pays off in the end. Lead by example and reduce your own bad habits, including putting your cell phone or tablet away.
4. Curiosity
Being curious about the world is the best way to figure out how you can add and improve it. Entrepreneurs need to be lifelong learners to be successful and are always looking for the next way to better themselves. Encourage children to start a new hobby and to pursue their interests, even if they are wacky and a bit odd! Taking children to activity centres, museums and other creative spaces will only help to boost their intuitiveness and curiosity. – Walt Disney
5. Self-confidence
Having the ability to believe in yourself and what you’re worth is the cornerstone example of leading a successful life and will help give you the right push needed to take risks and see things fully through to the end. You’ll never realize how having the faith in your own ideas and beliefs will take you far. Encourage children to have their own opinion and allow them enough opportunities to make decisions on their own accord – even if it’s not something you’d do or agree with, it will give them the freedom and chance to express themselves freely without judgement.
6. Empathy
Being able to understand, relate to and also support one another will only help take you on leaps and bounds throughout your life and career. Successful entrepreneurs need to be able to understand just how important empathy is to success and can massively help to establish the positive connections needed to get by. Respect your children’s own opinions and individuality and let them be open with their emotions and express them how they feel best to.
7. Optimism
Entrepreneurs need to become great models of expressing optimism. Their efforts to make things happen, and to keep going until they do so, can be a great inspiration to us all. Have a positive outlook and it will have some massive advantages to not only your career, but also to your health. Lead by example – Share positive stories and inspirational videos like TED talks to help them see how other people remain optimistic through thick and thin. If all else fails, just tell them to think one thing: Just keep swimming.
8. Giving back
By encouraging children to help out around the neighborhood or local community, even with something as small as raking leaves for an elderly couple, they can learn the importance of social responsibility. True visionaries aren’t selfish and look for a way to make the world better for EVERYONE instead of one that just makes it better for themselves. Whilst your children might be a bit too young to be heading into the executive boardroom, it’s never too early to teach them these essential skills that can help them thrive in pretty much any situation in their lifetime. You never know, they may be able to teach you a thing or too as well. Check out the infographic below for some more invaluable entrepreneurial skills that you can teach your children, and go forth as the best parent ever.
Featured photo credit: Andrés Nieto Porras via flickr.com
