Skillon - Develop your personal skills

Develop your personal skills

We have identified 7 personal skills that are particularly useful for entrepreneurship. Discover and develop them with challenges and resources that we’ve created just for you.

Vision: thinking big and inspiring others to work with you.
Optimism: understanding and overcoming difficult moments ; having a positive outlook.
Curiosity: having a thirst to learn and be open to knew experiences.
Initiative: proposing and executing on innovative ideas and trying to better projects that are already underway.
Desire to Lead: making decisions, being in charge, influencing others.
Risk Tolerance: acting despite not knowing all of the possible outcomes.
Resilience: learning from mistakes and recovering from them quickly.

Put yourself to the test and develop new super powers 🚀

Challenge

Gratitude journal

Develop your optimism

For one week, before going to sleep, take 10 minutes to jot down three things from the day that made you happy or proud. They don't have to be particularly important events or moments - it could be something as simple as feeling the sun warm your skin when you stepped outside for lunch or hearing from an old friend.

Resource

TED Talk by C. Ngozi Adichie

Develop your curiosity

In this talk, "The Danger of a Single Story", the best-selling author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie of Nigeria speaks with humor about the negative influence of prejudice in our society and gives advice about how to avoid falling into this trap.

Click to watch the talk!

Challenge

Admiration outreach

Develop your initiative

Think of someone that you admire a lot. It can be an actor, activist, author, artist, politician, or any other role model for you. Write them a letter (or a message on social media) telling them what it is that inspires you about their work and ask them for a response, or better yet, invite them for a coffee. You'll be surprised at the response!

Resource

TED Talk by J. Jiang

Develop your resilience

In "What I learned from 100 days of rejection", Jia Jang tells the story of how he desensitized himself to the pain and shame that rejection often brings by asking for impossible things like: $100 from a complete stranger and a "burger refill" at a restaurant.

Click to watch the video!

Challenge

Problem + Passion

Develop your vision

Get comfortable. Grab a pen and paper. First, write down a problem that makes you angry (lack of housing, pesticide use, etc). Next, turn the paper over and write down your greatest passion or biggest strength (theater, science, calming others). Last, think about this problem and your passions and try to link them together. Maybe you'll find a vision for your future!

Challenge

Speak with a stranger

Develop your risk tolerance

The next time you take a bus or the subway, try to initiate a conversation with a stranger. You could ask them something as easy as what their favorite book or movie is and why. Maybe you'll be too afraid or embarrassed to step outside your comfort zone in this way, but how bad could it be? Honestly... You'll never know until you try!

Challenge

The power of "why"

Develop your curiosity

In your conversations this week, make an effort to not only ask the people you talk to about facts (the 'what' and the 'how'), but also about their motives (the 'why'). For example, after asking someone"What do you do?", ask them "Why did you choose that?" or "How do you like it?"

Challenge

The organizer

Develop your desire to lead

The next time the opportunity presents itself, choose to be the leader of a group (planning a vacation with friends, for a group project, etc.). Be sure to listen to everyone's needs and organize accordingly. Afterwards, ask a friend or group member what they thought about your job as the organizer.