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As an entrepreneur, I’m always looking for ways to keep my business moving forward. You’ll hear all kinds of advice from those who came before you, some might have a bit of wisdom to them, some might not. For your business to be a true success, your personal attitude is paramount. The approach you take will determine whether you thrive or fail. To that point, there are two vital things you need to remember, the proven ways to help grow your business: be aggressive, and be proactive. If you follow these two guidelines, there’s no limit to where you’ll take yourself and your company.

Be Aggressive

Being aggressive means more than just throwing your weight around and being assertive. It’s about taking on every task before you with the passion and nerve you had when you first started. You’ve heard the old adage about genius being one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration? Business genius functions the same way. Hard work alone isn’t going to guarantee you success, but it’s the baseline that every successful entrepreneur has to start with.

Part of being aggressive is seeking out and adapting to every new development. Whatever your line of business is, there are going to be changes in the industry and if you’re able to adapt to them, you’ll be rewarded. In the real estate business, I’ve been a proponent of integrating solar technology in building projects and the growth in that sector makes me glad that I did. Staying aware of potential new progressions means you’ll always be ahead of the competition.

A great reason to be aggressive is that there’s so much information out there, you’re missing out if you’re not diving headfirst into it. Knowing what’s relevant is the key task, and once you’ve got a hold on that, you’re ready. Never forget that learning is a lifelong process. As Henry Ford, not a stranger to success in business, once said: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” Staying young means always growing, and learning is a key component of keeping that process moving.

My use of the word “aggressive” might be a little off-putting to some, but hear me out. Naturally, you may be concerned about stepping on toes, especially if your business relies on your public perception. But this might not necessarily be the case if you make aggression a key aspect of your strategy. In their book Aggression and Adaptive Functioning: the Bright Side to Bad Behavior, Professors Patricia Hawley and Brian Vaughn write about their research into the study of aggression. What they found was, contrary to popular belief, aggressive behavior is often seen as positive by peers, and improves rather than damages your image. If you’re worried about your image, aggression is an asset, not a liability.

Be Proactive

My second proven strategy is the counterpart to aggression. Harnessing that aggressive energy in a productive way means taking control of your destiny. Being proactive, in a business context, means keeping in control of what’s happening to you and your company. Aggression will drive you forward, but proactivity will keep you focused. Wrangling these two complementary strategies has proven reliable in growing my business, and will work for yours, too.

A proactive company is one that prioritizes strategic planning. This will include setting objectives for yourself and your team, making long-term decisions, and honestly evaluating your strengths and weaknesses. To keep this a regular part of your schedule ensures your business is poised to attack the upcoming year. It’ll also keep everyone on the same page, so you can solve problems collectively. As Warren Buffet said: “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.” You’ll reduce risk by having a clear plan of what you and the rest of your company need to accomplish.

Your strategic planning will need to accommodate future obstacles. While they’re unpredictable by nature, part of being proactive is doing your best to anticipate what’s yet to come. Look to the past, and learn from your own experiences and those of others in your industry. Of course there can be completely unforeseeable issues that you can’t plan for, but when you account for the ones you can, you’ll be able to balance your efforts and use everyone’s time efficiently.

The other side of that coin is the ability to take advantage of new opportunities. As the markets are always shifting, they can shift towards your direction if you’re tuned into new movement. As the world around you changes, don’t be afraid to stray slightly from your plan if a new stream of business looks more promising. Stay aware of things to come and you can get a head start on the competition. A proactive leader is ready to start new initiatives if they show promise.

These two strategies, when taken in tandem, will form the basis of any successful venture. There are a great deal of variables in running every kind of company, and how you react to them will determine whether your organization makes it or not. The analyses you make of your industry and your place in it are the key to continuing success. Just keep your priorities in mind, stay focused and don’t be afraid to be bold. A forward thinking approach, taken with a combination of vigor and logic, is the proven way to get ahead in any area of business and life.