Can being a parent make you a better entrepreneur?

Lotus Media is made up of myself, Klara, and my husband, Matt. We are entrepreneurs, but we are also parents and I have noticed recently that many of the traits I have as an entrepreneur are the same traits I have as a parent. Would I have these entrepreneurial qualities if I wasn’t a parent? I don’t think I would, or maybe it would take me longer to acquire them. Can you be a successful entrepreneur even if you aren’t a parent? Of course!

Here are 5 traits (or lessons I have learnt) that I have gained because I am a parent and how these benefit my business persona:

1. Empathy

As a parent you learn very quickly to put yourself in your child’s shoes – What does she need? How is she feeling? How will she react when that happens? You learn to think how they think and feel how they would feel. In business, a certain level of empathy is always needed. Having the ability to understand where your client is coming from or to anticipate what they might need is a valuable way to show your clients that you care and that you are invested in their business or product.

2. The importance of apologies (and having the ability to apologise)

It is easy as a parent to remind your child to apologise when they have made a mistake, but it is equally important to be OK with apologising to your child too if you make a mistake. In business, pride can never come between you and making amends or taking responsibility for your actions – we all make mistakes, but what really sets you apart is your ability to (sincerely) apologise.

3. Be a good listener

Children want to be heard and often any tantrums or moods come from feeling unheard – children might not communicate like we, as adults, do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have something to say. Making your clients feel heard will result in them feeling valued and will in return make them more open to hearing you out. Be aware of the times when listening is all that is needed.

4. Get creative and daring

Our daughter is continuously creating incredible gadgets out of seemingly useless things, she draws with such concentration and tells stories that are filled with imagination. Being a parent has taught me to be more creative in ways that I might feel are pointless – loosen up a little, explore, create, be daring; you have nothing to lose. The same goes for business – yes, you need to be professional, but there are many areas where you can get a little crazy and let your inner creative child out, such as your marketing campaigns, your blogs, or even just in your office decor.

5. Always do your best and don’t be too hard on yourself

As a parent you want to be able to teach your child the right values, you want to show them how to treat others and how to treat themselves – be kind, be generous, be loving, be caring, respect yourself and others. Teaching these qualities to a child can often be easier said that done and we all still struggle with these sometimes, however, the most important thing is to always do your best and to cut yourself some slack when you do mess up. As an entrepreneur you will mess up, you will find yourself losing your temper, you will forget to be kind, but don’t beat yourself up over it – acknowledge it, accept and move on with a new lesson.

I know that I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I wasn’t a parent, and all the traits and lessons above have helped me immensely in becoming the type of businessperson I want to be.

Tags: business, entrepreneur, inspiration