How Self-Development Fuels Success And Nurtures An Extraordinary Self Faisal Sharaf and Zeinab Mehdi Poor throw light on the importance of self-development

Investing in self-development can prove to be the most worthwhile decision for an individual. If we can bring a positive change in ourselves, we can undoubtedly thrive both personally and professionally. Gone are the days when people would focus merely on marketing strategies and business tactics. In recent times, more and more people realize the criticality of being conscious of their self-worth and improving themselves to flourish. Many people, particularly business owners, devalue the idea of putting effort into bettering their skills and personality, but that's not the case with these two renowned personalities—Faisal Sharaf and Zeinab Mehdi Poor

They talk about how crucial it is to invest in business training, learning and skills development in today's day and age. According to Faisal, "I believe that businesses and entrepreneurs who invest in themselves and their employees see a positive outcome both in the short run and in the long run. My own entrepreneurial journey began with mastering my craft through learning and skill development. When you invest in yourself and build your skillset, success is bound to follow. Irrespective of how successful you may be, it is essential to continually improve yourself by learning, training and building upon your strengths. Zeinab has a different take on it. She says, "The reality of the hour is—in this fast-paced age of millennials—that it isn't easy for employers to dedicate a considerable portion of time, money, and efforts towards employee training and skills development. However, when considering the potential benefits of doing so, it makes complete sense to engage the employees and oneself in diverse types of workshops, training, and skill development from a long-term perspective.

Self-awareness in leadership

Faisal feels that being self-aware is the first step towards becoming a competent leader. Only when you are aware of a problem would you be able to devise a solution. Other than being humble, self-awareness brings a sense of constant improvement in leaders. They begin to identify their strengths and weaknesses and hidden biases. A self-aware leader is one who conditions himself to be open-minded, empathetic, and solution-oriented, traits that he or she would inspire in others.

Zeinab feels one should be a people's person in business. She elaborates, "Essentially, to be an entrepreneur, one doesn't necessarily have to be a people's person. But to function, sustain, and grow a business, the skill certainly comes in handy. In times like these, where the world has come closer, thanks to social media, social skills will be valued more than ever before. The moment the employees witness social skills in action, they will imbibe them. This will, in turn, motivate them to develop their own people skills, which will make the workplace more transparent, communicative, and productive."

Changing times

They both believe that millennials have changed business practices. Faisal feels millennials bring with them a new understanding and outlook. They have revolutionized the face of entrepreneurship. From creating innovative solution-oriented businesses to changing work-culture, they have changed the business landscape. Millennials may seem easy-going and informal but are fiercely efficient and competitive. "As an entrepreneur, I feel it is essential to recognize their contribution and imbibe the positive aspects of their work-style."

Zeinab concludes that the biggest change that millennials have brought about business practices is showing the world how to establish a business with little or no investment. Thanks to social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube, websites like eBay, and hosting sites such as Squarespace, taking orders or selling items online has become simpler than ever. Not only that, many prolific "influential" millennials have created their own organic followings based on their personal styles and niches. Be it photography, baking, outfit ideas, or restaurant recommendations; they have utilized the power of their numbers for sponsored posts, thus turning themselves into a brand.

Self-development is the most incredible resource and a journey to growth and success. People who ignore the importance of self-development