The Entrepreneur's Guide to Mastering the Inner World of Business (Entrepreneur's Guides (Praeger))

This practical book takes the entrepreneur past the business plan and into the toughest business game they'll ever faceself-management for daily and long-term success. Focusing on the internal blocks, obstacles, and struggles all entrepreneurs face sooner or later, The Entrepreneur's Guide to Mastering the Inner World of Business shows how these unrecognized self-imposed barriers make it difficult to work at peak levels of performance. This guide will help readers explore perceptions of themselves, utilize leadership competencies, and identify weaknesses, frustration, and fears, managing each of these factors to enhance business growth and profitability, work performance, and a more satisfying life. Each chapter of the book concentrates on a difficult, universal problem entrepreneurs may face, such as managing doubt, worry and indecision, remaining innovative even during stressful times, coping with loneliness, confronting overwhelming "busy-ness," discovering the meaning of success and managing it, climbing up from failure and despair, and knowing oneself. "Ask Yourself" questions help the reader identify the particular issue within him/herself. "Practices" suggest proven solutions for those issues based on those the author has taught to thousands of business leaders. The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Mastering the Inner World of Business ......Page 4 Contents......Page 8 Foreword......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Introduction: Being an Entrepreneur......Page 14 1. Take Out the Trash......Page 20 2. Go Ahead—Be Different!......Page 35 3. Be Do Have......Page 50 4. Put Your Ego to Sleep......Page 62 5. To Move Mountains You Must First Move People......Page 74 6. Speak Only Half as Much as You Listen......Page 84 7. Get to Know Your Top Advisor—You......Page 93 8. Be Accountable......Page 104 9. Build the Business You’ve Imagined......Page 113 10. Remember—The Coolest Wealth Is Your Health......Page 121 11. Walk between the Raindrops, but Stomp in the Puddles......Page 132 12. Give Yourself a Standing O......Page 141 13. Growing Strong......Page 148 A: Entrepreneurial Fitness Quiz......Page 160 B: Action Plan......Page 165 Index......Page 168 The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Mastering the Inner World of Business 4 Contents 8 Foreword 10 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction: Being an Entrepreneur 14 1. Take Out the Trash 20 2. Go Ahead—Be Different! 35 3. Be Do Have 50 4. Put Your Ego to Sleep 62 5. To Move Mountains You Must First Move People 74 6. Speak Only Half as Much as You Listen 84 7. Get to Know Your Top Advisor—You 93 8. Be Accountable 104 9. Build the Business You’ve Imagined 113 10. Remember—The Coolest Wealth Is Your Health 121 11. Walk between the Raindrops, but Stomp in the Puddles 132 12. Give Yourself a Standing O 141 13. Growing Strong 148 Appendices 160 A: Entrepreneurial Fitness Quiz 160 B: Action Plan 165 Index 168 Take out the trash Go ahead : be different! Be, do, have Put your ego to sleep To move mountains you must first move people Speak only half as much as you listen Get to know your top advisor : you Be accountable Build the business you've imagined Remember : the coolest wealth is your health Walk between the raindrops, but stomp in the puddles Give yourself a standing o Going strong. "Nanci speaks from her heart, in straightforward no-nonsense terms. I know this woman and I trust her emphatically. I strongly support her vision."--Dr. Wayne Dyer, Bestselling author of Excuses Begonel: How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits