5 Major Lessons I Learned While Working For A Founder/Entrepreneur in Nigeria
When I set out at the end of my 300 level in 2017 to get professional work experience, asides all the volunteering I had been doing, I always pictured myself in a big, well-structured organization like the “Big 4” consulting firms. This led me to take an internship with a well-structured law firm that has been in existence since before I was even born. While it was a good experience, I was not quite satisfied. I did not feel pressed enough, in fact, I felt like I did nothing most of the time.
I was hungry to do more, to take on more responsibility, to take initiative and make decisions that I could defend based on what I knew I was good at. Then by my first semester in 400 level, I joined a non-profit organization to work part time as a communications manager.
Yes finally, I was going to be doing something, and what more it was what I loved, while working independently at the same time. Ever since this first experience. I have gone on to work for 4 other founders and entrepreneurs and here are some lessons I have learnt in the past 3 years.
1. You must stay hungry — I often like to believe that my hunger for more, to do bigger things, an open mind to learn along the way, and a teachable spirit got me into the door most of the time, apart from my grades. I always put my best foot forward. This hunger, for the most part, kept me at each role long enough to give it my absolute best until I thought it was the right time to move into a more challenging role. A hungry and teachable spirit I have found is a trait that founders/entrepreneurs appreciate. It makes you take initiative, you find yourself learning and immersing yourself in activities that will bring the best out of you. It makes their work easier because they can now trust you enough to delegate tasks to you. It is a good way to prove yourself and establish your value as an employee.
2. Patience, Patience and more Patience — Being a founder or entrepreneur is a lot of work. There’s so much happening behind the scenes that most founders have to deal with from team management to sales, marketing, getting investors and so on, especially when the business is still growing, or the team is small. This can get some founders tired and irritable especially when you seem to not be getting something right.
At this stage, you have to be patient and employ emotional intelligence to deal with situations like snapping, snide remarks, work bashing etc. Provided that this is something that rarely happens, I’d say be patient, however where it grows into a toxic behaviour I advise that you begin by having a conversation about it, if things don’t change then please begin to make a quick exit plan.
3. Think from the angle of value — Working for founders/entrepreneurs has taught me a lot about how to position yourself and leverage on the value you bring as an individual. It is not enough to be present in an organization doing amazing work yet you are unable to articulate the value you bring to the table. Even as a business owner you are constantly talking about how valuable your product is to the customer, or how your solution will be of value to them.
Think of new ways to make things run more smoothly in your office for instance, suggesting a better team management software to use. You can also take up small initiatives within the office for example, championing the Christmas charity drive and getting everyone to participate. Be a person of value.
4. Reliability — Be someone that is reliable, not just for your boss but for your teammates as well. I have learnt that reliability is a trait that most founders or entrepreneurs look out for in employees. They want to be sure that they can trust you to show up on their behalf if need be. When you work closely with them in a personal or executive assistant role, they want you to be someone that can relieve them of some burdens and deliver on the task well.
5. Discipline — You cannot work for a founder or entrepreneur without having discipline when it comes to your work, and inter-personal relationships within the organization. You are employed to do something, and it is pertinent for you to get your job done, no excuses. To be honest, there were times when I lagged at work, and once when I could not continue. Nonetheless, lessons learned. A lack of discipline on your part may cost your organization so it is important to be disciplined. Having this mindset is great even for you as a person if you decide to start your own business in future.
These are some of the lessons I have learnt over the years. It has greatly shaped my disposition to work and the way I relate with the people within my network. Now that I am starting my own freelance writing firm, it is all coming to play in the way I run my own business. And so, if you are currently working for a founder/entrepreneur and you feel frustrated, my advice will be to learn the lessons you need, enjoy the process and make sure you leave the work experience with more wisdom than when you came into it.
Cheers to a better version of yourself!
