by Cliff Townsend
Do you have the attributes of a successful entrepreneur? Entrepreneurship is not just about being the owner of a business. Entrepreneurs require a specific set of skills which for the most part cannot be acquired from a classroom. Entrepreneurs are a special breed of individuals; we are made from a different batch. We see and do things others can’t or won’t.
We have all acquired at least one set of skills over our lifetime that we can share with others. However before we start sharing those skills there are some characteristics that we need to develop. In other words we need to first work on ourselves before we begin influencing others.
The majority of men and women who take the entrepreneurial plunge and become successful spent an average of six to ten years in the workplace where they had the opportunity to learn certain skills that helped prepare them for the entrepreneurial lifestyle.
Here are some of the attributes and characteristics that a successful entrepreneur must have. They are in no particular order even though some are more important than others.
1. Passion:
As an entrepreneur you must have passion. You must be passionate about the service or product that you offer. You must believe that this service or product has the ability to change the world. Your passion must be felt by everyone that you come in contact with. People should leave knowing that you believe in what you offer even if they have no need for it.
2. Determination:
Becoming a successful entrepreneur is not easy. If it was more than 3-5% of the population would take the plunge. There will be challenges and obstacles and many of them will deter the faint of heart. That is why the entrepreneur who is willing to continue pursuing his or her dream when faced with adversity will undoubtedly become successful. There is no way that they cannot.
3. Flexibility:
The ability for you to bend and not break. The ability to put in place a set of actions with a desired outcome, and understanding that the plan or the path may change because of circumstances along the way, however your desired outcome still remains the same regardless of the challenges.
4. Strong Vision:
One of the strongest attributes that you can have as an entrepreneur is the ability to clearly paint a picture on a canvas without brushes or paint. People are naturally drawn to those with long term vision. It gives them a sense of security.
5. Dream Big:
As an entrepreneur you have the ability to think of an idea and immediately you have turned that thought into the greatest thing since sliced bread. It’s like having a near death experience and your entire life up to that point flashes in front of you in clear vivid pictures.
As an entrepreneur you must develop this ability, because thinking big is the only way to get big results. You must practice thinking beyond your current limits. Go to the point where it starts to feel uncomfortable.
This is where most people will stop, however you must stretch your beliefs beyond your current imagination, it is only there to keep you in your current comfort zone, so it will fight back, and that’s why you must continue practicing daily.
6. Failure:
Most entrepreneurs are serial entrepreneurs, or they will become serial entrepreneurs. This is why most have already learned to look at perceived failure as experience gained and a new starting point. Learning from past experiences and not giving up as soon as challenges come your way is key to your entrepreneurial success.
This is the biggest reason why so few even attempt taking the entrepreneurial plunge, because they fear the fear of failing, not actually failing itself, just the perceived fear of failing.
7. Criticism and Rejection:
You can’t escape it. There are going to be those who criticize you regardless of what you do. There are going to be those who will reject every single idea that you have, because they don’t like you, don’t believe in you.
The reasons are irrelevant; just understand that it will happen. This is why passion and determination is so important. As a successful entrepreneur you must learn the delicate art of evaluating criticism objectively and not taking it as a personal attack on you.
8. Build a Team:
This is a critical attribute that i learned many years ago. As an entrepreneur you see the big picture. You can take a simple idea and see the vision completed twenty years down the line, where most people can’t even visualize a picture.
That is a blessing and a curse, because we tend to overlook the small but very important details. Important details like the book keeping aspect, the marketing, the licensing, all of the other things that make a business run on a daily basis.
You have to be able to recognize where your shortcomings are and surround yourself with people that will fill those areas.
Being a successful entrepreneur does not necessarily mean being the smartest person in the room. It means that you recognize where your shortcomings are and you are not threatened by surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you in certain areas.
9. Be Your Own Boss:
You want to call the shots. You are not intimidated by the challenge; in fact you look forward to the challenge of making it all come together.
10. Financial Freedom:
You want financial freedom. You make no apologies for wanting to become rich, because you know that you would be able to help so many more people do better in life if you had the financial means to do so…
11. Seek Knowledge:
You continuously seek out knowledge in your chosen field so that you can help more people by being more knowledgeable.
You joined groups and organization, and you surrounded yourself with people that can help you grow both personally and professionally.
(via Black Life Coaches)
