Alexis Ohanian on How to Be Resourceful

Resourcefulness is the ability to snap into action regardless of the current situation. It facilitates getting things done despite whatever challenges you face. A cursory glance at a thesaurus will show you “resourcefulness” can be a synonym for “ability” or “acumen.” It derives from the idea you can use your natural resources as a human being for solving problems of any kind or caliber.

Resourcefulness is essential to almost any job you’ll perform throughout your life. During job interviews, hiring managers try to suss out how resourceful potential hires are. They know more astute and confident candidates will have an easier time learning and growing in their new roles than those who require a great deal of hand-holding. Some people even choose to include resourcefulness in the soft skills section of their résumés when applying to new jobs.

Self-reliance will go a long way throughout your career. Here are a few examples of resourcefulness in action:

1. 1. Adapting to new situations: To be resourceful means you always adapt to any new situation. Imagine your supervisor decides to have you collaborate with a new team in your company. You’ll need to rely on both your own resources and discover the innate talents of the rest of your team members as you try to come up with the best ways to work together.
2. 2. Solving problems: Imagine your coworker drops the ball on an important assignment. You could complain about their lack of time management skills, or you could snap into action and pick up the slack. You could also rely on your emotional intelligence to figure out what happened with your team member. They might have countered a painful and unusual problem in their life you can help them with, too.
3. 3. Taking initiative: Resourceful employees are always looking for ways they can go the extra mile. After they’re done completing tasks of their own, they’re always on the lookout for new ways they can help others or additional problems they can solve.

Entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian’s long and eclectic career has enabled him to cultivate his ability to be “relentlessly resourceful,” as he describes it. Here’s some of his advice about how to always find a resourceful solution, whatever the problem:

• Adopt a solution mindset. Have an open mind so you can determine when to tap into your natural resources. “You have to have this idea that, ‘OK, I see a problem,’” Alexis says, “‘and I have an idea for what could be a solution, and I’m going to try it.’” Resourcefulness is having the foresight to recognize issues and the tenacity and talent to solve them.
• Learn from your mistakes. Even the most resourceful people in the world will still struggle in the face of certain challenges. “Be willing to question all of these times you get punched in the face about something that disappoints you,” Alexis says, “really understand why it happened.” The good news is your experience will become an asset in the future.
• Never give up. No matter how dire or complex the problem, there’s always a potential solution. “You’re going to run into impediments all the time,” Alexis says. “A great CEO doesn’t seize up. They continue to pump their legs harder to adapt and make solutions.” Learn not to doubt yourself by meeting challenges head-on and overcoming them.
• Take on multiple challenges. Alexis became more resourceful by trying new things constantly. “Early on, you have to be willing to wear all the hats,” he says. “You have to be willing to be a generalist. And even your early employees need to accept the fact that they’re going to take on responsibilities that they are not great at.” Try brainstorming with your team members about ways you can tackle challenges in creative ways.

Resourcefulness requires you to approach the world from a curious and creative vantage point. Keep these tips in mind to hone your own abilities as a problem solver:

• Collaborate with team members. Resourceful leaders recognize when to reach out to others. Delegating to a subject matter expert will allow you to solve a problem quicker than trying to do everything yourself. Still, see if you can join in the process so you can further cultivate your own problem-solving skills, too.
• Cultivate creative thinking. A resourceful mindset is a creative mindset. To work on your resourcefulness skills, try to think outside of the box. If you always try to solve problems in the same way, you’ll never gain any extra experience or understanding of the world around you. Take risks and try to do things in unique and creative ways.
• Develop confidence. You’ll have a better chance of tapping into the right resources if you have the confidence to use them. The more difficult situations you go through, the more you’ll have the self-awareness necessary to tackle new problems in the future. Try to get out of your comfort zone so you can become more sure of yourself.
• Learn valuable skills. Everyone has innate talents, but resourceful people are always on the lookout for ways to acquire and develop new skills. Become a lifelong learner. As you learn how to do new things, you’ll be less wary when pertinent problems arise.

To build a successful startup, you must first find a problem to solve and learn how to counter the competition. Sign up for a MasterClass Annual Membership to discover Alexis Ohanian’s approach to thinking creatively, being resourceful, finding funding, and nailing your execution.