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Andrea Migliorini
Why you should start thinking like a business leader
May 15, 2023
5 Minutes
5 tips from a business designer

When one thinks of “business skills,” do words like creativity, passions, and inner leadership come to mind? Well, according to Alen Faljic, founder of the first business school for designers, those are just some of the hidden benefits of a business mindset. 

Here are five reasons why everyone should start thinking like a business leader in their daily job, even if (you think) your job has nothing to do with business.

1. A business mindset is a trainable skill

Some say that if you’re not born with a business mindset, you cannot develop one. Here, Alen Faljic, former business designer at IDEO and founder of the first business school for designers, explains that anyone can develop a business mindset. Because there’s more to business skills than numbers. 

What is the d.MBA?

The d.MBA is an online business school for designers, with an astounding 90%+ course completion rate. Using real-world case studies, weekly discussions, and mentorship within a small supportive cohort and active alumni community, designers develop a business mindset and skills that position them to effectively communicate their ideas and impact to business stakeholders.

2. You will better understand what you love

If you want to learn about business, do you need to start with boring books? Not at all!  Choosing a hobby as a starting point can be both motivating to train business skills and a way to learn more about something that you are already into. A win-win! 

Motivation to learn = “Topic you’re learning about” + “Topic you’re already curious about”
3. Your creativity will benefit

From Steve Jobs to Elon Musk: having a business mindset goes hand in hand with being creative in finding new solutions. So, there’s more to business mindset than process optimization (which is also important of course). It’s also about creating new and innovative products and services. 

4. You’ll discover your inner leadership skills

If you want to be a leader, there are things you must have: for example, the right mental models to solve problems. But how do leadership skills change over time? How did they change in recent years? The demand for evolving leadership skills in remote environments and with a new generation is changing faster than ever. Here’s how, according to Alen Faljic. 

5. You’ll have the tools to back up your ideas

Have a great idea with no way to prove it? Link it to business! The art of business storytelling will help you back up your pitches with more convincing rationales and reasons. Need proof? Here’s the story of Neil, a graphic designer who used business storytelling to promote a rebranding project for his company. 

Bonus: The next big thing in business

Ok, now you know you want to hone your business mindset. There’s another thing you need to know: what’s the latest trend in the business scenario? Automation is something we don’t need to be afraid of – we just need to learn how to seamlessly embed it in our workflows to get rid of tedious tasks. 

Automation = technologies that reduce human input to improve processes and maximize efficiency
TO SUM UP
All in all, a business mindset is for everyone. It can be trained and can help anyone in everyday life, from better understanding yourself and becoming more creative, to developing leadership skills and ways to advocate for your ideas. And in a world with ever-increasingly available information and automation, what could be more important than asserting your own voice?
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