Success can look different for people across the board. To distinguish whether the business you have built is successful requires a deep dive into the strategies you have deployed over the years. Growth assessment is mainly scaling business practices; another great way to grow is to learn from past mistakes. 

Entrepreneurs and business owners are often mistaken for having it all together because their business is performing well, but that could not be far from Alex Lieberman’s truth in his recent podcast: My Top 4 Biggest Career Mistakes. He is the Executive Chairman and co-founder of the daily email newsletter, Morning Brew. We found brilliant advice in his top mistakes, and in this article, we discuss our takeaways from each mistake. 

Critical Thinking > Consensus Thinking

Growing up in a family of traders, Alex dreamt of the same fate for himself: becoming a world-class trader. The consensus for his decision was inherently influenced due to his family’s background. So he did everything required to achieve that dream and created a story that he had to be on the Wall Street. 

As human beings, we are story-making machines, so we construct narratives for ourselves and keep living in them. But, of course, with awareness and experience, we can recognize the flaws in our narration of the story and correct them accordingly. To understand what you want for yourself and then work in that direction, you need to think creatively, build meaningful connections and do storytelling. But unfortunately, quite the opposite is expected of us because hustle culture dictates that the grind never stops, which hinders your thinking capacity as creative. 

Not Hiring Smartly 

Another big mistake that CEOs make is not hiring smartly. Hiring the wrong people can be detrimental to the company’s success, and it doesn’t even have to mean that the employee was not qualified enough to do the job; it usually dials down to the following three reasons: 

• Hiring in the wrong role 
• Hiring for the wrong experience 
• Making a rushed decision 

It is easy to hire someone you think can do a great job because of their previous experiences and strong skillset. However, that is not necessarily true because the employee’s skill set must align with their hired role. 

Hiring someone in the wrong role can also hamper their productivity because their skillset becomes redundant. And lastly, no matter how great of a fit you might think someone is for the company, never make a rushed decision. Efficient hiring processes require time and patience; the results are beneficial. 

Resisting Individual Superpowers 

The third mistake is resisting our superpowers. According to Alex, humans are story-making machines, so we tend to make up stories that could unknowingly limit our potential. We tell ourselves stories that other people’s success might inspire, but every person out there has a unique story and struggles in their way. What worked out for someone cannot dictate our behaviors. 

Even as CEO of the company, your role keeps changing, and a thriving business mind is always open to change. You have to make sure that your story does not blindside you, especially if it stops you from doing things you love and worth your time. Trust your gut because you got this!  

Prioritize What’s Important 

Growing up, schools and colleges only teach us to complete our work on time to get the best grade. However, the most valuable skill in practical life is prioritizing what’s important, and it doesn’t have to give instant results; it is often the least gratifying thing. Still, we don’t give it the due attention it needs. 

As the saying goes, the only difference between a good and a great company is urgency—the urgency to solve the problem and be consistent. Consistency increases the probability of achieving goals and pushes the agenda forward. 

There You Are!

Mistakes are lovely learning curves because they help you identify the areas that need improvement. Speaking of improvement areas, if you’re looking to upgrade your internet plans and stay connected with fiber coverage, Smithville Fiber has great deals that you should check out.