When you act like a business owner your value skyrockets. Because you’ll not just act like a leader but be a leader. The principles of entrepreneurship are: • Own problems • See problems as opportunities • Create rather than destroy • Follow the data • Always iterate These traits will help you go further in your career and become unstoppable. A mentor taught me these traits. I practiced them. Then I ended up becoming an actual business owner. Act like a business owner if you want to be successful. Am I missing anything? Add it in the comments. 👇

I’ve always believed in managing myself like a business owner. While many focus on day-to-day tasks, I’ve prioritized closing gaps based on a well-thought-out action plan. By living in the future and understanding what could be ahead, I’m able to address issues in the present more effectively. This proactive approach not only keeps things running smoothly but also positions me to solve problems before they become critical. The key is to think ahead, adapt quickly, and stay grounded in what’s needed right now to get results.

These principles are spot on Tim! 👏 Acting like a business owner goes beyond just technical skills; it’s about developing the mindset and traits that will help you grow in any environment. Robert Kiyosaki, despite his controversial approach, embodies many of these principles through his teachings on financial independence and entrepreneurship. Kiyosaki advocates for taking ownership of your financial future, thinking like an investor, and focusing on creating passive income streams, which aligns perfectly with the mindset of a business owner. 👍

This is spot on—when you think and act like a business owner, you naturally become a leader. As Reid Hoffman said, “An entrepreneur is someone who jumps off a cliff and builds a plane on the way down.” Adopting these principles—owning problems, seeing opportunities, and iterating constantly—doesn’t just elevate your career; it builds unstoppable momentum. One addition? Embrace accountability. Leaders who take full responsibility inspire trust and drive results.

I agree Tim Denning But I’ll always say, one of the best traits of a business owner is adaptability. Know your environment and act accordingly. Some places encourage strategic leadership regardless of title or rank, others don’t. So decide what works best and do it. Sometimes You’ll achieve more clarity, peace and balance by growing with the grain instead of fighting it.

Spot on. To take this a step further, business owners should create an environment, culture, and comp model that motivates that type of behavior and mindset.

Good insight! Absolutely agree! Adopting a business owner mindset as an employee fosters accountability, innovation, and growth. It’s about taking initiative, thinking strategically, and treating the company’s success as your own. This not only adds immense value to the organization but also accelerates personal and professional development. A win-win for both! Tim Denning

Tim Denning, absolutely. So glad you shared this. You know, in the society where I grew up, there was a common career question – “Do you wish you do a job or do you wish to be a businessperson?” This misplaced thought process comes from the understanding (or lack of it) that being ’employed’ and ‘doing a business’ are two different things. Sure, they are different in the ownership and risk factor sense. But they aren’t so different in the sense that an employee is also doing business. You may not want to start your own business and join an existing business for the sake of stability and other reasons, but even as an employee, you will be doing business nonetheless. Being an intrapreneur is the closest thing you could experience to starting your own venture without doing so, and yes, it is one of the smartest things you can do. You will learn loads, you will be a high contributor, grow faster, and eventually when you do want to start on your own, you’ll be ready!

Tim, your post perfectly aligns with the experience I just had—owning a large delayed payment situation taught me more about leadership and self-worth than any paycheck ever could. Your insights on acting like a business owner is very true and should be parlayed into our entire lives. Humbly own yourself fully so no one else can.

I would agree with you in most professional settings but… If you work in a company with insecure leadership, this can backfire as you might cause additional insecurity in the SMT, which means you become uncomfortable and that will fast track your exit.