Moving Beyond the Employee Mindset

You will never get rich working for someone else. This statement, though disturbing in a few ways, is completely accurate. The entrepreneurs – the people who put personal or financial risk on the line for their business – are the ones who make the most money, experience the greatest financial rewards, and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that they have succeeded or failed in their endeavors.

The last thing that I’d ever want to be told is that I’m a great employee. Even if I am capable at what I do, good with clients and customers, and an all around “good guy” to work with, I never want to hear that I’m a good “employee”. For someone like me, who prides themselves on a job well done, that instills notions of permanence and limitation. I frequently state that I don’t want to be “just an employee”, ever.

In the recent months I’ve moved beyond working for someone else and have instead focused on working for myself. As an employer, I can say that I’m probably the best employee that I’ve ever had.

You see, employers and employees approach similar situations with different attitudes.

• When looking for an income – An employee will seek employment, try to find a job, or obtain some kind of employment insurance benefit; an employer will try to expand their client base, leverage their time via their employees, and perhaps even try to further establish themselves in their respective markets.
• When having social problems at work – An employee will sit on the issue for a while, and finally approach management about a possible solution. An employer will take corrective steps immediately to ensure that it does not go on any longer than it has to.
• When handling financial setbacks – An employee will shrink their budget or sell some possessions to make up for the lost income. An employer will try to make the best use of their current assets by launching new businesses, expanding their product line, or trying to monetize new markets.
• When building wealth – An employee will commit to a lifestyle based around their income. Any fluctuations or dramatic changes to their income is likely to set them into a series of catastrophic events, perhaps even leading to consolidation of their debts and maybe even bankruptcy. An employer will take their income, use what is necessary to maintain their lifestyle, and then invest the rest back into their business or current investments.

Being an employee does not make you less of a person. In fact, any business needs ambitious and motivated employees in order to become successful. Being someones employee is the safe route to take when it comes down to financial or career goals. Having a steady income, or at least one that is guaranteed, gives a sense of stability.

However, if you ever want to move beyond that an attempt to launch your own business ideas into motion, you’re going to need to shed that employee mindset. Dropping the notion of a guaranteed income and accepting the risks and rewards that come with being an entrepreneur is the first step.

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