Starting a business is a big achievement for many entrepreneurs, but sustaining one is the larger challenge. In the era of entrepreneurship it is more so, when competition is tough to become the next big thing and innovation is the buzz word. With rapid digitalisation, the world may become your market but the pace is much faster than yesteryear.

And for any business to succeed you need to associate with the right kind of partners, investors, vendors and employees. We do not realise this but its at the end of the day, a teams performance that is responsible for the success or failure of the business. Forge that with brand building and you have hit the right run home!

Have you considered that the reason behind your determination or innovative thinking is due to the curves and strokes in our handwriting? The mind is a powerful tool that emits energy and emotions through various means. There has been an increasing trend of graphologist being associated with business entrepreneurs to help organisations make better and informed decisions.

Graphology is a science to analyse a persons mind from his/her handwriting and signature. Our handwritings are our most expressive vents which we fail to consider. The handwriting reveals the pattern of thinking and psychological state of a person.

In the recent past, we have witnessed many organisations approaching us to consult on matters related to recruitment, talent management, growth and expansion, team building and even company profitability.

We have heard and read many stories about successful business leaders and new age entrepreneurs who have global successes and they have become business icons. If we compare their initial struggling days, we could look much better financially and socially. Ever wonder what were those critical factors that made them what they are today? You have the big idea, but are you courageous enough?

While raising capital is important, hiring the right talent is key to success. Financial security, dealing with stress and facing failure are the most critical challenges that entrepreneurs face today. We have observed that these have become the determining factors today in the trying times that business people and entrepreneurs live.

Business entrepreneurs are always looking for new insights to gain a better understanding of the ways to run their business ventures. Graphology enables entrepreneurs to make strategic decisions in various matters such as perspective hires, managing current employees, identifying potential business partners, investors, etc. Some ways by which graphology can help in ones business are:

Allows employers to recruit ideal candidate for specific post: With the help of graphologists, employers are better equipped to choose traits such as honesty, work ethic, ambition, mental health, etc.

Companies are increasingly investing time and effort to understand if the potential candidate shares company values and long-term goals. This is where graphologists can assist recruiters making better hiring decisions.

Helps identify the right business partner: Often, when looking to partner, business leaders look for individuals who have very similar qualities and temperament as themselves. This is a potential mistake as competitiveness will arise and cause dissent. Being aware of the strengths and weaknesses in one partner or the other is a critical element while selecting a business partner.

Therefore, it is important that the personal and professional qualities of each partner be assessed and understood. A trained graphologist can carefully examine the handwriting of each partner and accordingly build a personality profile, capturing the abilities and negativities carefully weighed one against the other.

Helps in increasing companys profitability: Several business leaders have been reaching out to us for graphological assistance in matters related to risk mitigation, budgeting and forecasting, detecting dishonestly and malpractices, identifying problems amongst unions, internal malpractices and many other facets of running organisations.

With the consultation of an expert and by making small but significant changes, business leaders can be propelled to transform organisations which in the long run will help transform the overall business running and profitability.

For entrepreneurs running businesses, it is difficult to ascertain if a team can actually work together. An individuals personality is considered to be not only the behavioural characteristics of individual but also mental cues which make each and every individual unique.

Changes in our emotional health due to environment and situations do have an impact on us and this manifest itself in minutiae changes in our handwriting. While handwriting flow largely remains steady, the written medium is quite an expressive tool of the sub-conscience. Following are some tips for business leaders who are looking to team building and bonding initiatives:

Big and clear signatures: This is the signature of the renowned businessman Ratan Tata. If a person has a huge signature and especially, if he/she is writing his/her name in a big size, then his/her self-value is big too. Therefore, such a person needs everything in greater quantities, for example, respect, awards and accolades, money, etc.

A person with a high self-value is self-confident and an excellent leader as well.

Small signature: If an individuals signature is small, then his/her self-value is also less. And, if the self-value is less, then the person is less ambitious as well. The risk-taking capacity of such a person is less. He/she is scared of the future, pessimistic and doesnt think high of himself/ herself.

A tiny creature is always afraid that a beast will eat it or attack it. Similarly, individuals with a low self-value are always afraid that people will trouble or hurt them. This is known as victim mentality.

Alphabet - t: You can know your self-value from the alphabet t. It means, if the t bar is higher on the alphabet t, then the person has a high self-value.

Ascending, baseline signature: This signature is that of Lata Mangeshkar. Her signature is ascending (slanting upwards) just like the take-off of an airplane. Her signature is so because her thoughts are growth oriented.

A successful entrepreneurs future is dependent on his/her image of ones own self-value. It means that a person will live a life equal to that value which he/she has decided for himself/ herself. Thus, you can improve these minutiae aspects of your signature to increase your self-value and easily sail towards success.

Business leaders can themselves, with the help of a graphologist or by training themselves in this science, identify and control their own psychological and financial health periodically for the betterment of their businesses. Having said that, it is very wrong to ascertain by checking a few strokes and curves and basing a judgment on that.

The writer is Founder of The Graphology Research Institute

Excerpt from:
Why business leaders must pay heed to handwriting - The Hindu BusinessLine