Entrepreneurial Faith: Optimism, Conviction, and Action

It is a powerful moment when an entrepreneur has a vision for what he or she wants to achieve. It’s what I call an “entrepreneurial seizure,” when almost unexpectedly the vision becomes clear and the entrepreneur is filled with a driving purpose. It has a lasting impact and I still remember the moment I had mine. I became hyper-focused, filled with a conviction that pushed me down a path full of unknowns. As I gained confidence in my company, our product, people, culture, and overarching vision, I developed a dogged determination to succeed. I found myself overcoming obstacles and nay-sayers, solving ever increasingly difficult problems and persevering when others would give up, to fulfill what had become what felt like my calling.

Beyond Conviction

An indescribable feeling, this entrepreneurial conviction lifts you to new heights and fills you with excitement, energy, and optimism. It enlightens you to your real potential and stretches you beyond your perceived limits. It forces character growth and causes you to reflect on the kind of person you want to become. However, conviction alone isn’t enough. Eventually, you need to develop faith. An ‘entrepreneurial faith’ that will lead you through the continued challenges of growing your business is needed. Nurturing a faith that empowers you to not only take another step forward on your entrepreneurial journey but to lead others along the with you is how you strengthen your conviction.

Faith to Action

Optimism and faith are related, but they are not interchangeable. Optimism drives hope, a ‘hope’ for a successful outcome. Faith, on the other hand, expects successful outcomes, and guides action towards them, even in your darkest days. The opposite of faith is fear. It cripples organizations and stops them from progressing. Whatever the cause, many great companies have closed their doors for good because of fear—fearful to change, fearful to innovate, fearful to trust in the mission of the company and its people. Optimism makes for a positive environment, but faith creates a true calling and a unifying sense of purpose. Action puts your faith in motion. Action coupled with faith shows the strength of the belief that drives you and the organization to make a difference.

Faith to Lead

As the leader in your organization, it’s critical that you have faith. The path forward isn’t always clear and you as a leader must be willing to take that proverbial leap without wavering. Leading is more than knowing where you want to go and telling people how to get there. Leadership is about showing them how to get there. It is instilling vision, values, and inspiration into their hearts and minds. Your job isn’t to clear the path for them, instead, your responsibility is to empower your people to clear the path with you. Leadership is developing your people and helping them to see their full potential and value, then providing a way for them to grow. You need faith in your people and trust that they will rise to the challenge. You need faith in your organization, the culture, and the vision that what you are doing will make a difference, that is entrepreneurial faith.