As a young entrepreneur, you’ll face many challenges in running your business. However, one of the toughest is gaining the respect of older, wiser business leaders.
While you should remain humble and open to learning, you also shouldn’t let your age stand in the way of making connections and joining conversations with more experienced entrepreneurs. Follow this guidance from Forbes Coaches Council members to prove your knowledge and worth, and start earning the respect of your older peers.
1. Know What You Bring To The Table
Figure out what you bring to the table. It can be your ability to see creative solutions, process information at a speed that enables you to quickly notice the gaps or even your ability to ask questions that allow others to see things differently. If you rely on your academic training, it may not necessarily capture the interest of an experienced leader. The knowledge-doing gap is a real phenomenon, and you don't want to find yourself in a conversation where you are asked to show if what you know actually works in the business world. Instead, move with what you can claim as your own. - Mirella De Civita, Ph.D., PCC, MCEC, Papillon MDC Inc.
2. Develop Your Ability To Listen
It is a young entrepreneur's behaviors that will convince someone to take them seriously as a leader. The ability to effectively listen is one critical behavior. While listening to the words someone uses is important, taking interest in a person's body language, remaining open to what is said and listening to someone the way you would want to listen to builds tremendous credibility. - Patrick Veroneau, Emery Leadership Group
3. Let Your Results Speak For You
Instead of trying to convince ignorant people that you have what it takes, let your results speak for you. Actions are louder than words. Here a few ideas: video interview your clients, share milestones online, tell the stories of your great employees, apply for awards, borrow the credibility of accomplished people by taking pictures with them and get certified if it does not cost a fortune. - Dr. Natalia Wiechowski, Think Natalia
4. Adapt Your Communication Approach
Don't feel that you need to prove yourself, because you don't. Instead, develop the skills to be able to adapt your communication approach based on what the other person needs to see, hear and feel to have confidence in you. Some people need to see facts and figures, others need to see tangible results, some want to know your bigger vision and others just need to feel they can trust you. - Gabriella Goddard, Brainsparker Leadership Academy
5. Get Comfortable With Saying ‘I Don't Know’
Often, we want to appear as if we have all the answers, but "knowing it all" is impossible. Saying "I don't know" followed by some version of "I'll find out right away and get back to you" can increase credibility. If you are willing to admit when you don't know something, it helps people to feel confident that, when you do make a statement or claim expertise, you are being honest and realistic. - Jessica Glazer, Center for Creative Leadership
6. Find A Mentor
The best way to be taken seriously as a young entrepreneur is by listening, especially to a mentor. When you’re a young entrepreneur it is easy to want to set the world on fire, but it is best to be willing to listen, take notes and learn to process the information. Having someone help you through the process will grow your network and create more credibility. - Jon Dwoskin, The Jon Dwoskin Experience
7. Accept Criticism
One of the fastest ways to be recognized as a leader is the ability to accept constructive criticism and implement solutions. Similarly, one of the fastest ways to be considered immature and unprepared for leadership is to be combative and dismissive when constructive criticism is given. Though it may sound pedestrian in nature, this is one of the rather common errors for young entrepreneurs. - Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group
8. Know Your Worth
Young entrepreneurs wanting to prove to others their worth need to first figure out their own added-value proposition. This means understanding the uniqueness you bring to the table. Once you know your worth, you will stop trying to prove yourself to others and instead simply be your best self! This self-confidence, along with exuding your own personal brand, is the best approach to gain favor. - Susan K. Wehrley, BIZremedies
9. Ask Thoughtful Questions
Demonstrating expertise and critical thinking are not based on having the best solutions but asking great questions. What defines great questions? Ones that provoke others to think, produce innovative ideas and promote learning for you and others. Asking curious questions that support the greater purpose, while surfacing hidden challenges, leads to good solutions and decisions. - Mark Samuel, IMPAQ Corporation
10. Be An Exceptional Thinker And Doer
Regardless of age, people will respect you when you could demonstrate you have a great brain and you can bring it to work. So be an exceptional thinker by having solid expertise, knowing who you serve and how you serve and communicating it with the world. Then, be a great doer by delivering impactful and meaningful solutions while humbly gathering feedback for improvement along the way. - Amy Nguyen, Happiness Infinity LLC
11. Demonstrate Your Competence
This challenge is driven by the common presumption that young entrepreneurs are inexperienced and therefore incapable. Overcoming this for those in service industries is about effectively demonstrating expertise upfront in order to eliminate doubts and establish trust. This can be done through the delivery of talks, workshops or online media that are exceptional in nature and thus imply competence. - Jamelle Lindo, PARADIGM People Development
12. Take Yourself Seriously First
The first step to being taken seriously as a leader is taking yourself seriously first. As entrepreneurs, we must know the value we bring to the table before others will see it. When it comes to the rest of the business world, we must understand what is going on beneath the surface. If people do not take you seriously, there is a reason deeper than your age. Explore what that is and address it. - Brooke Schultz, Brooke Schultz LL
