It may be a bit of a generalization, but I don’t think that I’m out of line when I say that entrepreneurs, on balance, are an impatient bunch.
In order to build a successful business, you have to hustle and be somewhat of a hard-charger. Impatience, unsurprisingly, is a common byproduct of the entrepreneurial mindset.
I know that I certainly used to fall into this category. It was only after several years of running BodeTree that I came to realize that in business, patience truly is a virtue.
Avoid “ready, fire, aim” syndrome
I have a tendency to rapidly evaluate situations as I encounter them, which is both a blessing and a curse. In the best cases, this rapid assessment enables me to quickly grasp a situation and plot a path forward.
In the worst cases, however, this rapid-fire though process creates a chasm between me and the people I’m working with. When this happens, I find myself jumping forward to a conclusion while others are still processing the information at hand.
This “ready, aim, fire” syndrome is all too common amongst entrepreneurs, and while sometimes it leads to rapid iteration and growth, more often than not it results in problems.
In my experience, the rapid conclusion I reach is occasionally not as solid as I think. Sometimes, I overlook critical details, implications, or opportunities. Other times, I grow impatient and end up alienating the people I’m working with.
Impatience is self-sabotage
When you jump to a hasty conclusion, you end up creating an artificial timeline in your mind. When people or processes fail to align to that timeline, the mind can run wild.
You begin to question the motives and intentions of the people on the other side of the equation and put forth ultimatums that may or may not be considered reasonable. This often leads to two unfortunate outcomes.
First, impatience makes you look desperate. Pushing a partner too aggressively or issuing unreasonable ultimatums is extremely off putting. In my experience, I’ve found that such actions come across as a major red flag to external parties. More often than not, it kills the deal.
Chris Myers is the Cofounder and CEO of BodeTree and the author of Enlightened Entrepreneurship.