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As entrepreneurs, we are expected to be dreamers at the same time, but never succumb to the sleep of inaction. We should be able to snap our fingers, fall into a trance, dream of a wonderful future, then wake up to transmit a vision irresistibly contagiously to our teams, and then pragmatic and organized martial marching orders. But shifting gears like this can be difficult, especially at a frenetic pace in an age of distraction.
Today I feel inspired to examine these three separate phases, each of which can lull us with its siren song and keep us stuck for too long. Let’s explore these three entrepreneurial responsibilities and the inflection points between each.
The “Dreaming”
Some of us are natural dreamers. We collect concepts like memories and our heads remain in the clouds, incessantly throwing puzzle pieces around and searching for previously unknown connections. This is how true innovation is born. We need to spend uninterrupted time putting things together.
It reminds me of Bill Gates at the height of his career, taking “think weeks” where he would disappear for two weeks to amalgamate a dozen random books and recent learnings into new insights for Microsoft’s future. Maybe it feels very natural to you, and if it does, make sure you don’t get stuck here. Dreams in business are only useful if you do something with them once you wake up.
Related: 10 Surprising Facts About Bill Gates
The “dramatization”
And then it’s time to share. When you wake up, how do you articulate your dream? And beyond that, how do you involve others in your idea? How do you compellingly tell the story that people understand and can even begin to own themselves? Some people are gifted communicators and telling stories is second nature. But for those who need direction, here’s what I found helpful: a distillation of the hero’s journey.
Your dream is probably to solve some tangible problems that affect people. Present that person as the main character of the story, with hopes and dreams of their own, only to be burdened by some impervious obstacle. They have a problem that they cannot solve on their own and this problem prevents them from achieving their dream. They need help and you are in the perfect position to help them. Your personality is exactly the type they connect with (perhaps even an inverse of their own personality, offsetting their negative personality traits), and your guidance speaks to both their head and their heart, encouraging and inspiring them to take action. Conclude by sharing a clear articulation of what’s at stake (“What’s the worst that could happen?” if they don’t act, followed by “What’s the best thing that could happen?” with your help).
Related: A brand story is what you need to share your business vision.
That story formula will always resonate, no matter your audience or industry. And by telling it as a story, it’s much more likely to be remembered and shared contagiously throughout your network. People remember and love telling stories, especially when they are easy to remember and have an emotional return.
The do”
But now it’s time to move. How does this little giraffe who is an idea take his first steps? Slowly, that’s how, with great intention. In my fifteen years of entrepreneurship, I have found that the accomplishments are great, but the steps forward are even better.
In your mind, put yourself a year down the road. At that point you have arrived at a new inflection, which will require another dream cycle. Now, give yourself 3-4 milestones that you need to achieve between now and then. Don’t worry about flowery language or focus on feelings.
Be as clearly pragmatic as possible when describing these goals. Use phrases like “We’ve raised enough for 24 months” and “We have our first paying customer.” And when you’ve reached these milestones, break each into 3-4 inch stones. Baby steps, if you will.
This may seem completely uninteresting or unrevealing, and that’s the point. When we put our spindly, ambitious brains into action, it will feel like we’re robbing our work of all its romance — and it is — but our future selves will thank us.
When you get to that final goal, it’s time to dream again. Gather everything you gleaned from your last dream, absorb it, take a break from your typical routine, and let yourself fall into a dream state again.
Related: Moving Beyond the Idea Phase: 4 Strategies for Taking Action and Achieving Your Entrepreneurial Goals
There you have it: the three main goals that most entrepreneurs are expected to happily waver between from day to day deconstructed in simple language. It takes extraordinary discipline to follow this flow and not go back to dreaming once an idea is shared. To confess, my biggest fault is dreaming too much and doing little, so this process becomes my guardrail. And believe me, my team is grateful for it. There are only so many times you can shake the rudder before the people on board get seasick and want to get off.
Founders don’t need to keep all three hats on while companies grow, thank God. As we experience some success and hire to replace us, we can slowly immerse ourselves in what we love most—dreaming, dramatizing, or Do). But in the early stages of entrepreneurship, we will likely have to wear all three hats.
And it really is a dream.