Credibility & networking in the Entrepreneurial world

I can’t believe this is my second trip to Italy in less than a month ( third will come just next week) ! I remember going there first time about 10 years ago like it was yesterday. That being said, Italy never ceases to amaze me with its beauty, including is amazing people, food, and coffee (seriously it makes me never want to have a Starbucks, Costa again…)! Even for a day trip. I went to Venice for some negotiations and then to Rome for some further business meetings. In this week’s entrepreneurial inspired post, I share with you my thoughts on credibility and the network that you build which in turn helps to build your empire. I hope you enjoy the pictures from both Venice and Roma.

All entrepreneurs constantly strive to  arrive to top positions of their career in different ways. Some individuals openly and aggressively seek out positions of leadership, while leadership is thrust upon others. Regardless of the entrepreneurial path traveled, not everyone is ready, willing or able to lead a business. Not every entrepreneur is a leader.

Entrepreneurship absent credibility is at best ineffective. However the more likely reality is that when an entrepreneur truly lacks credulity it is dangerously toxic. Isolation is one of the great enemies of entrepreneurs, he or she is busy assailing credibility at every turn. Sequestered business leaders develop a narrow world view and begin to limit options.  Business owners who start to believe their own smoke, become emotionally over-invested in the wrong things, and who are more concerned about being right than achieving the right outcome, place their credibility is at risk. Passion without perspective and/or reason can actually serve to distort one’s perception of reality and result in heavy loss.

If you want to watch your credibility go up in smoke, it’s not that hard to do – just be a jerk. A entrepreneurs first obligation is to those they do business with. If you don’t build into and support your network, what makes you think they’ll behave any differently toward  you when they find themselves in those similar positions? Without the people, there is no platform, no products, no services, no culture and no company. Without the people, you have nothing to gain.

At the end nothing speaks of poor credibility  more than a lack of performance. Nobody’s perfect, but leaders who consistently fail without improvement are not leaders, no matter how much they may think they are. I have always believed that you are what your track record says.

As always, my trip to Italy was filled with beautiful sights, great people, and delicious coffee; however, the best part were the many business opportunities and the roads the network of roads that lie ahead. I am so lucky I have the opportunity to do what I love in my life despite all the problems and nay-sayers around me. Until next week… CIAO Italia, grazie!!