Being a superb businessman isn’t nearly crunching numbers or closing offers. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate that the really nice ones—those who encourage belief, construct lasting relationships, and obtain sustainable success—have one thing deeper occurring beneath the floor.
I’m Lachlan Brown, founding father of Hack Spirit and a long-time psychology fanatic. I’ve spent years exploring what makes folks tick, and relating to enterprise, it’s not all the time the flashy abilities or daring strikes that set somebody aside.
Usually, it’s the refined traits—the quiet qualities most individuals overlook—that make all of the distinction. On this article, I’m going to share 7 of those refined traits, as defined by psychologists.
Whether or not you’re working a enterprise or simply making an attempt to navigate life with a little bit extra readability, these insights may simply change the way you strategy every part.
Let’s dive in.
1) They pay attention greater than they discuss
One of the refined—and highly effective—traits of a genuinely good businessman is the flexibility to actually pay attention.
It sounds fundamental, however give it some thought: how many individuals really pay attention to know, as an alternative of simply ready for his or her flip to talk? Nice businessmen don’t simply hear phrases; they tune in to what’s being stated, what’s not being stated, and the feelings behind all of it.
After I spoke with a psychologist about this, they defined that listening isn’t nearly being well mannered—it’s about constructing belief. Folks naturally gravitate towards those that make them really feel heard and valued.
In enterprise, this talent generally is a game-changer. Whether or not you’re negotiating a deal, main a workforce, or speaking to a buyer, listening exhibits that you simply care and creates stronger connections.
If you wish to stage up your listening sport, begin small. The subsequent time you’re in a dialog, resist the urge to leap in along with your response. As an alternative, deal with what’s being stated and ask considerate follow-up questions.
It’s superb how a lot of an impression this one shift can have—not solely in your relationships but additionally in your success as a businessman.
2) They keep calm beneath strain
I’ll admit, this one didn’t come naturally to me. Early in my profession, I had a behavior of letting stress get the higher of me. I’d panic when issues didn’t go as deliberate, and that vitality would ripple out to my workforce and make a nasty state of affairs even worse.
However then I got here throughout a quote from Viktor Frankl, the famend psychologist and Holocaust survivor, that utterly shifted my perspective: “Between stimulus and response there’s a area. In that area is our energy to decide on our response. In our response lies our development and our freedom.”
It hit me like a ton of bricks. I spotted that staying calm beneath strain wasn’t about suppressing feelings or pretending every part was superb—it was about recognizing that I had the ability to decide on how I reacted, it doesn’t matter what was taking place round me.
One time, I used to be pitching an enormous shopper when every part went sideways. My laptop computer froze mid-presentation, and I may really feel the room tensing up as everybody waited for me to repair it.
Usually, I might’ve spiraled into panic mode, however as an alternative, I took a deep breath and owned the second. I cracked a lighthearted joke about know-how failing on the worst occasions, walked them by way of the remainder of the pitch with out slides, and ended up closing the deal anyway.
That have taught me that calm is contagious. Whenever you hold your cool, it units the tone for everybody else and exhibits that you would be able to deal with no matter comes your means.
In case you wrestle with staying calm beneath strain, begin by training mindfulness or focusing in your respiratory when issues get demanding. It’s not simple at first, however over time, you’ll get higher at discovering that “area” Frankl talked about—and utilizing it to your benefit.
3) They worth relationships over transactions
Early in my profession, I made the traditional mistake of focusing an excessive amount of on the underside line. I assumed being a superb businessman was all about touchdown offers, hitting targets, and shifting on to the following factor. And for some time, it labored—I used to be getting outcomes. However one thing felt off.
Someday, I misplaced an essential shopper. Not due to pricing or competitors, however as a result of they didn’t really feel like I genuinely cared about their wants past the deal we have been engaged on. That stung.
It made me notice that one of the best businessmen don’t simply chase transactions—they construct actual, significant relationships. Folks need to work with these they belief and join with on a human stage, not simply somebody who sees them as one other quantity on a spreadsheet.
After that have, I began shifting my perspective. As an alternative of diving straight into enterprise discuss in conferences, I took the time to get to know folks higher—their challenges, targets, and even private tales.
One shopper I labored with was struggling to steadiness working their enterprise with elevating a new child, and as an alternative of dashing by way of the assembly, we spent a while speaking about that. Months later, they advised me it was that second of empathy that sealed their loyalty to me.
Right here’s the factor: relationships are the inspiration of long-term success. Offers come and go, however the belief and goodwill you construct with folks keep—and sometimes result in alternatives you couldn’t have predicted.
So in the event you’re all the time chasing the following quantity or deal, take a step again and ask your self: Am I treating this individual as a associate or simply one other transaction? That small shift in mindset could make all of the distinction in what you are promoting—and your life.
4) They follow emotional intelligence
I used to assume that being profitable in enterprise was all about technique and mind. However the extra I labored with folks—shoppers, colleagues, and even opponents—the extra I spotted how essential it’s to know feelings, each yours and others.
That is the place emotional intelligence (EQ) comes into play. It’s the flexibility to handle your individual feelings whereas additionally recognizing and responding successfully to the feelings of others. And it’s not only a feel-good concept—there’s stable analysis backing it up.
A research revealed within the Journal of Organizational Habits discovered that leaders with excessive emotional intelligence are higher at constructing belief, resolving conflicts, and fostering collaboration inside their groups (Côté & Miners, 2006).
For me, studying to enhance my EQ was a game-changer. I keep in mind a state of affairs the place a workforce member was fighting a venture deadline. My preliminary response was frustration—I wished to push them tougher to get it carried out.
However as an alternative of snapping, I took a second to step again and ask what was actually occurring. Seems, they have been overwhelmed with private challenges exterior of labor.
By displaying empathy and serving to them prioritize their workload (as an alternative of simply pressuring them), we not solely met the deadline however strengthened our working relationship within the course of.
If you wish to sharpen your emotional intelligence, begin by taking note of your reactions throughout demanding conditions. Are you reacting impulsively, or are you pausing to mirror earlier than responding?
Studying to navigate feelings—each yours and others—isn’t all the time simple, nevertheless it’s probably the most precious traits you may develop as a businessman.
5) They keep curious and continue to learn
One factor I’ve observed about genuinely good businessmen is that they by no means assume they know all of it. As an alternative, they strategy each state of affairs with curiosity, continually searching for methods to enhance, adapt, and develop.
I discovered this the arduous means early in my journey. I hit some extent the place I assumed I had “figured it out”—I knew my business, my market, and the best technique to do issues.
However that mindset shortly began holding me again. The world was shifting, and I wasn’t maintaining as a result of I used to be too cussed to confess there was extra to be taught.
Then I met a mentor who utterly flipped my perspective. He advised me, “The second you cease studying is the second what you are promoting begins dying.” That caught with me. Profitable folks don’t see challenges or errors as failures—they see them as alternatives to be taught one thing new.
For instance, when one in every of my advertising and marketing methods flopped just a few years in the past, as an alternative of brushing it off or blaming exterior elements, I dove into researching why it didn’t work. I learn articles, reached out to specialists, and even took a brief on-line course on trendy advertising and marketing traits.
What I discovered didn’t simply assist me repair that one marketing campaign—it gave me insights that reshaped how I approached advertising and marketing altogether.
Curiosity retains you adaptable in a world that’s continually altering. Whether or not it’s studying books, taking programs, or just asking questions from individuals who know greater than you do, staying open to studying is without doubt one of the most underrated traits of an awesome businessman.
So subsequent time you are feeling such as you’ve bought all of it discovered, ask your self: What don’t I do know but? That easy query can unlock doorways you didn’t even notice have been there.
6) They take duty, not credit score
One of many greatest classes I’ve discovered in enterprise is that actual leaders personal their errors and share their wins. It sounds easy, nevertheless it’s tougher than you assume—particularly when issues go improper and your ego needs to level fingers elsewhere.
I keep in mind a time when a venture I used to be main utterly fell aside. Deadlines have been missed, the shopper was sad, and the workforce morale was at an all-time low.
My first intuition was to shift the blame—possibly the workforce didn’t talk correctly, or the shopper wasn’t clear about their expectations. However deep down, I knew I needed to look within the mirror.
That’s once I got here throughout a quote from psychologist Carl Rogers that caught with me: “The curious paradox is that once I settle for myself simply as I’m, then I can change.” Proudly owning my function in what went improper wasn’t simple, nevertheless it was liberating.
As an alternative of losing vitality deflecting blame, I targeted on what I may do higher subsequent time—like setting clearer expectations and bettering communication throughout the workforce.
After I took duty, one thing attention-grabbing occurred: my workforce began stepping up too. They noticed that accountability wasn’t one thing to concern—it was one thing we may all embrace collectively.
By being sincere about my very own shortcomings, I created a tradition the place enchancment turned extra essential than perfection.
On the flip aspect, when issues go effectively, I’ve discovered to provide credit score the place it’s due. Nothing builds belief and loyalty quicker than recognizing the efforts of others as an alternative of hogging the highlight for your self.
Taking duty isn’t about beating your self up; it’s about proudly owning your half within the course of—good or dangerous—and utilizing it as a stepping stone for development.
7) They know when to say no
Right here’s one thing which may shock you: probably the most essential traits of a genuinely good businessman isn’t saying sure to each alternative—it’s figuring out when to say no.
Early on, I assumed success meant taking over each shopper, venture, or partnership that got here my means. I figured the extra I stated sure, the extra alternatives I’d must develop my enterprise.
However what really occurred was the other. I unfold myself means too skinny, overcommitted to issues that didn’t align with my targets, and ended up delivering mediocre outcomes as a result of my focus was far and wide.
It wasn’t simple to confess, however I needed to be taught the arduous means that saying sure to every part usually means saying no to what really issues.
One of the counterintuitive classes I’ve discovered is that saying no isn’t about closing doorways—it’s about defending your time, vitality, and assets for the alternatives that align along with your values and imaginative and prescient.
For instance, there was some extent once I turned down a profitable partnership as a result of it didn’t really feel like the best match for the place I wished my enterprise to go. It was nerve-wracking at first, however wanting again, it was the most effective selections I ever made.
That call freed me as much as deal with initiatives that have been extra significant—and finally extra worthwhile—in the long term.
Conclusion: Small modifications, large impression
Changing into a genuinely good businessman isn’t about mastering flashy ways or chasing fast wins—it’s about cultivating refined traits that set you aside in the long term.
Begin small. Choose simply one of many traits we’ve explored—whether or not it’s listening extra, staying calm beneath strain, or studying to say no—and decide to training it day by day.
Progress doesn’t occur in a single day, however little by little, these modifications will remodel not solely the way you do enterprise but additionally the way you join with others and navigate challenges.
Keep in mind, success comes from who you’re, not simply what you do. Lead with intention, deal with relationships, and continue to learn. The remainder will comply with.