Connect with us

Entrepreneurs

The Mindset That Keeps Successful Entrepreneurs Sane on Social Media

Published

on

Image Credit: Unsplash

Social media may have been around for the better part of two decades, but society is still learning the effects such technology has on our mental health. For emerging entrepreneurs, social media is a double-edged sword. Now more than ever before, we can start conversations and share our wins and successes, but we can also waste time chasing meaningless attention. At worst, we can suffer feelings of inadequacy and anxiety.

So what’s the best approach? How can entrepreneurs utilise social media for their business, without risking their mental health?  The answer might sound simple, but it’s far from easy. We have to build a more resilient mindset. Here’s how.

Don’t play by social media’s rules

At its most basic level, social media can be viewed as a game. In fact, several social media developers have admitted to ‘gamifying’ their user experience. They want people to get involved and to stick around for as long as possible. It means more money for them through advertising. In turn, you gain a chance at winning social media’s main prize: attention. 

Whether users want to admit it or not, gaining attention is the number one objective when it comes to social media. It’s a quest to be the loudest speaker in the conversation, and the most common method of dominating that conversation is by selling users a story. 

It’s much the same with other media platforms too. Even newspapers survive by selling us stories that’ll hog our attention. Yet while most of us understand that news organisations are trying to sell us a story that supports an agenda, society seems to forget this aspect when using social media. 

In reality, most social media posts are just trying to sell a story too – a story that’ll help achieve a certain goal, even if it’s just an ego boost. But rather than chasing this pointless thrill, the most successful entrepreneurs always remember: the game of social media is a carnivalesque ruse. There are very few real winners. 

Instead, the healthiest way to view social media is as a device. Whilst successful entrepreneurs use it to start conversations and share their updates, they know that attracting attention for its own end will do nothing for their business. After all, what’s the point in going viral if you don’t have the product or service to back it up? What’s the point in being heard if you’ve nothing substantial to say? 

“The Mona Lisa has a huge social media presence. Her picture is everywhere. But she doesn’t tweet. She’s big on social media because she’s an icon, but she’s not an icon because she’s big on social media.” – Seth Godin

Don’t compare yourself to others 

By always striving to get noticed amongst the noise, entrepreneurs often start comparing their success with other social media users. This can be very bad news, especially for their business. By comparing your own achievements against someone with a louder social media presence, you’re not only falling for the ruse of gamification, you’re risking your own happiness too. 

After all, how easy is it to take to Instagram and start beating yourself up? Every time we refresh our feeds, we’ll find yet another user who seems more successful than us. We start wondering how we can reach their level and what we can do to compete. We forget that their post was a contribution to the game of grabbing the most attention. 

By getting sucked in and comparing yourself to others, you lose. You start squandering your energy and attention on metrics that don’t matter to your business. You might even be tempted to compete by making your own flashy statements. But even if these tactics earn you a modicum of attention, that attention most often proves fleeting. 

Instead, successful entrepreneurs stay sane on social media by disregarding others’ outlandish affectations. They let their own work do the talking. What’s more, they seek to learn far more than they seek to show off. 

Don’t waste your time with negativity

The healthiest way to promote ourselves on social media is to remember we only have so much time to achieve our goals. So why do so many people waste their energy getting caught up in negativity? 

The answer is simple: it’s a lot easier to destroy than it is to create. It’s easier to tear something down instead of building something from the ground up. 

We’ve all seen haters and trolls online and wondered how that person came to be so negative. The answer is simple: they’re people who’ve lost the game of social media. Their attention has been won and they’ve become jealous of the fantasy image that’s been portrayed to them. They forget that social media is a device and they start seeking ways to insult the person who has managed to provoke their interest. In short, these people want to make themselves feel better. 

Have you ever seen a truly inspirational business figure wasting time arguing in a YouTube comments section? There’s a reason why. They value their time, and they only spend it on their goals. 

“Online I see people committing ‘social media suicide’ all the time by one of two ways. Firstly by responding to all criticism, meaning you’re never going to find time to complete important milestones of your own, and by responding to things that don’t warrant a response.”- Tim Ferriss

Maintaining a successful social media mindset

If you’ve ever felt inadequate in response to another’s success, chances are you’ve become swept up in the gamification of social media. By focussing on social media as a device or a tool, entrepreneurs and business owners can stop being followers and start proving themselves as someone worthy of being followed. 

With so much content created every day, even the most outrageous or funniest of posts are often forgotten in an instant. So why spend time creating content that just adds to the noise? Why go after ego-boosts, and why fall for the stories others try to sell you? 

Instead, invest in your own work instead, and when it comes to social media, seek to learn and to engage. Seek to start conversations that interest and inspire you. Start looking at people who are addicted to Twitter wars with pity. After all, you’ve got better things to be doing. You’ve got work to do.

Chris Thomas is a Content Marketer at Talkative, a tech startup helping businesses connect more meaningfully with their online customers through video, voice, and live chat. Alongside writing and marketing, Chris is fascinated by personal development, productivity, and the ways entrepreneurs and business owners can change the world for the better. @TophThomas

Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

Published

on

Bridging the gap between employees and employers
Image Credit: Midjourney

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

Continue Reading

Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

Published

on

entrepreneurial leadership skills and traits
Image Credit: Midjourney

When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)

Continue Reading

Entrepreneurs

Building a Business Empire: Lessons from the World’s Boldest Entrepreneurs

Learn essential lessons, success strategies, and mindset shifts every aspiring entrepreneur needs to overcome challenges and build a thriving business.

Published

on

how to build a business empire
Image Credit: Midjourney

Back in July 2017, I attended a business seminar on entrepreneurship in India. With my appetite for learning and meeting new people, I wanted to explore the latest developments in the entrepreneurial world. (more…)

Continue Reading

Change Your Mindset

Why Ideas Are More Valuable Than Resources for Entrepreneurial Success

Discover why ideas, not resources, are the true driving force behind entrepreneurial success, innovation, and lasting growth.

Published

on

Power of ideas in entrepreneurship
Image Credit: Midjourney

History shows us that the greatest minds, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Walt Disney, Stephen King, and countless others, faced failure early on. Yet, instead of seeing failure as the end, they treated it as a comma in their story, not a full stop. (more…)

Continue Reading

Trending