What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the words “superpower” or “superhero?” For most of us, it’s Batman, Superman or Ironman.
The media industry has painted a fantastic picture of how regular human beings with supernatural abilities can take on any opponent, save the world from destruction and restore the balance between good and evil. However, these fictional characters aren’t the only ones that possess superpowers.
Entrepreneurs are also superheroes. They are the ones who are constantly striving to do all they can to solve problems of the world, improve the quality of human life and inspire social change; and they do this against all odds, often with a limited amount of time and resources.
What exactly is an entrepreneurial superpower?
In simple words, an entrepreneurial superpower is what you can do better than anyone else. It’s that skill set which sets you apart from others, and from which you can build your competitive advantage in business.
Most entrepreneurs believe that they should be capable of handling everything in their business. However, the greatest opportunity for success comes from strengthening your own areas of natural talent. Focusing on these areas makes way for extraordinary results. Success cannot be achieved by managing and paying attention to weaknesses — that can only cause frustration and feelings of failure.
Entrepreneurs can possess a wide range of superpowers, from seeing new opportunities and niches to being able to read people well, and beyond. No matter what yours is, you’ll want to capitalize on it because it will be one of your greatest business strengths.
So how can you, as a founder, identify your superpower?
Here are four simple steps involved in discovering and cultivating your superpower to become a better, stronger business leader:
- Create a list of everything anyone has said you are good at, or do well professionally or even personally. These could be things they admire about you or have said you should sell as a service.
- If you cannot be objective about your own strengths, ask your colleagues, friends and family members, who will be honest and whose opinions you trust. These people will give you objective feedback about your strengths — often, the things you take for granted, others can see very clearly.
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- Make a list of all the things you love, and have loved, doing. Include every task or project you have done that brought you satisfaction, fulfillment and joy.
- Note all the skills and areas of expertise that were needed for each item you listed. Review these skills, highlighting those that show up often or are similar in nature. If one skill or ability does not stand out from the others, assess the top three and note which ones come easiest to you, which you enjoy the most and which hold the most value for you and for others, to figure out your core superpower.
Once you know what your core superpower is, you must figure out what to do with it and how you can use it to your advantage.
The biggest benefit of finding your business superpower is being able to figure out what you’re most brilliant at and what can be a core differentiator between you and your competitors.
Plus, understanding your superpower also enables you to narrow your focus, specialize in a niche, identify your ideal client base and create efficient systems for your company. When you know what you are great at, you are likely to produce better results and others will have a better idea about who to refer to you.
As a startup owner, while you may feel like you can handle most parts of your company, you’ll find it impossible to develop your core ability while still juggling other demands. Therefore, in order to focus on your superpower, so that it ultimately benefits your business at large, you will need to give up some level of control and delegate certain tasks. And if you are a first-time delegator, it’s important to give your team the benefit of the doubt and try to be patient, to make the process less difficult.
You will then find that, in the world of business, once you figure out who you are, you will be able to successfully partner with others and set up teams in ways where you can bring in a diversity of perspectives that lead to innovative thinking.
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