What are the ingredients necessary to be successful?

It was only recently that it occurred to me the similarity between the following two words:

CREATIVITY      ACTIVITY

To be successful, it’s not enough to just be creative. We must also have the ambition AND the ability to turn creativity into activity.

Definitions from the Collins dictionary:

Recently I sat on a judging team at a Hackathon and Pitch competition. I heard six interesting imaginative ideas presented to the audience, plus the judging panel.

Most of the teams were passionate about their idea and well prepared with ideas that could benefit humanity greatly.

The team that won were in my mind the group who demonstrated that they were more likely to turn creativity into activity and bring their idea to fruition.

An entrepreneur needs to have confidence and believe that they can provide both qualities if they wish to influence customers/investors and their team.

I have now been coaching entrepreneurs/businesspeople for more than twenty years, and it’s my belief that having engaged with them for only a short period, I can usually ascertain the people who have both qualities (ingredients) and will go on to be successful.

Sometimes I see situations where one team member has the creative vision for where the business should go but doesn’t necessarily have the hands-on management skills to generate the activity that will make their idea successful.

Two good partners, one with creativity, and one with activity, at the forefront, can succeed. (Providing they do not fall out!)

If you believe you have the necessary level of creativity and activity, the only thing holding you back is your ability to communicate well and Tell Your Business Story.

By Executive Coach Andrew Keogh of Aristo.ie