Personality Qualities Required to Start a Business
Do you think you have the personality to be your own boss?
● Personality traits such as adaptability and optimism contribute to entrepreneurial success.
● Entrepreneurial personality traits assist business owners in overcoming the difficulties associated with starting and running a business.
● While some people are born with entrepreneurial personality traits, others can learn the necessary skills and attitudes.
This article is intended for entrepreneurs and people thinking about starting a business and are interested in the personality traits of successful entrepreneurs.
In order to persevere through the difficulties of starting a business and the difficulties that inevitability arise when running a business, successful business owners appear to have certain personality traits.
Not everyone is cut out for entrepreneurship, but successful businesspeople thrive on the challenges and opportunities it presents.
This article will look at the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs and provide advice on how to develop the mindset and skills needed to work for yourself.
Personality traits of entrepreneurs
We asked several business leaders about essential personality traits for entrepreneurs. They shared a number of characteristics that contribute to business success. You may already have these personality traits, but if not, they can be developed.
1Entrepreneurs have a lot of energy
As a brand marketing and PR consultant, Lisa Murray has worked with a lot of serial entrepreneurs. She claims that one thing they all have in common is the capacity to move around a lot.
Born entrepreneurs don't know how to power down, according to Murray, principal, and co-founder of Trevi Communications. They exude high-octane energy and are buzzing with ideas, plans, and strategies.
We don't suggest that you never take a break; for most of us, that would be unhealthy. But if your business ideas excite you, you'll inevitably give them more vigour.
If lack of physical energy is a problem, there are healthy alternatives to consuming more caffeine or other stimulants. Simply getting some fresh air and moving your body counts; we're not even talking about following a strenuous exercise regimen. Any method you can use to get yourself moving for brief periods of time will increase energy. Simple household chores, dancing to a few upbeat songs, or even doing a quick circuit or two around the office can help if you want to speed things up a bit.
Additionally, what you eat matters. Fruits or juice is a great cheat-sheet for a quick energy boost; choose a protein for longer-lasting energy. The problem with consuming a chocolate bar or other caffeinated food is that you will inevitably crash later and forfeit the advantages you were after.
Did you know? You might have become an entrepreneur thanks to your parents. According to research, a child's behavior can be attributed to the daily choices their parents make to shape their development.
2Entrepreneurs can persuade
One of the key traits of a born entrepreneur, according to CEO coach and author Nancy Eberhardt, is their ability to sell an idea and persuade others to support their cause.
"They are persistent in telling you about it and pitching why you need it," Eberhardt said.
"Whether it's starting a landscaping company at the age of 12 or selling magazines door to door to fund a school trip,"
"They approach anyone and present their idea, service, or product with almost no fear."
This does not imply that you attack everyone you come across; that will only backfire. But researching persuasive strategies is advised, and there are many of them. People who are good at persuasion learn how to time their requests and use the other person's language. Do your due diligence! They can provide specific examples to support how their ideas would create win-win situations. Additionally, they are aware of when to stop and move on.
Did you know? According to research, mischievous kids make excellent entrepreneurs because an entrepreneurial mindset necessitates taking risks.
3Entrepreneurs are inventive
Marketing and public relations consultant Robin Samora, who works almost exclusively with entrepreneurs, believes that entrepreneurs have a unique way of dealing with problems. "They devise novel solutions to problems that others cannot even imagine," Samora said. "Ideas flow and come to them naturally."
When confronted with a problem, we tend to look for tried-and-true solutions and other tried-and-true solutions. Hold a no-holds-barred brainstorming session to go beyond the norm. You can do this with others or alone, quickly writing down whatever ideas come to mind and refusing to edit them until all of your ideas, no matter how crazy they sound, are exhausted.
Maintain an open mindset with yourself and others (if there are others), and don't dismiss any ideas. Put your ideas in writing and save them. You're likely to find something useful when you return to them in an hour, day, or week.
TOP TIP: Mind-mapping apps are fantastic brainstorming tools that can help your team come up with, share, and use original ideas.
4Entrepreneurs are upbeat
Any career can benefit from positive attitude development, but entrepreneurs looking to grow and succeed should pay particular attention. Even in the worst of circumstances, successful entrepreneurs see an opportunity to learn something new, according to Lili Balfour, founder of investment banking firm Atelier Advisors.
"When their world is crumbling around them, they remain calm, knowing that there is a lesson to be learned," Balfour explained. "They appreciate what has worked... and learn from what hasn't worked."
It's simple and appealing to turn everything off and walk away. It may even be required. However, it should not prevent you from pursuing your dreams and ideas.
Optimists speak in a different language: They say "That failed" instead of "I failed." "How could I have done that better?" instead of "Obviously, I'm no good at that." And the question isn't just "Where did I go wrong?" but also "What did I do right?"
Where others see failure, optimists see opportunity.
5Entrepreneurs take advantage of opportunities
The term "opportunistic" gets a bad rap, but we're talking about people who are constantly on the lookout for new opportunities, a trait required for entrepreneurs looking for ways to turn ideas into products.
Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, author and business psychology professor, believes that entrepreneurs have a mindset for looking for opportunities and are always ready to see a situational advantage.
"They see opportunities where others don't," Chamorro-Premuzic explained, adding that they are willing to pursue these opportunities even when others are hesitant.
This is not to say that you should mortgage everything; it simply means that you should keep your eyes open for opportunities to do your next thing. These opportunities may arise within your organization, so pay close attention to those who bring new ideas to the table.
They could come from anywhere, including a tip from someone in your network, a price change on a product, or a professional journal. So don't stop looking.
6Entrepreneurs understand their own worth
Nadia Digilov, a successful wedding business owner and author who left Wall Street, thinks that successful businesspeople are willing to acknowledge and learn from their errors.
"Natural entrepreneurs analyse their behaviour and are not afraid to admit a mistake," Digilov said. "They are more willing to correct negative behaviors than [non-entrepreneurs]."
You may be concerned that admitting a mistake will make you appear weak. This is completely incorrect. Accepting and admitting mistakes makes you appear more human, trustworthy, and approachable to those in your organization and those you do business with.
The worst part about refusing to admit you made a mistake is that you risk repeating it, which endangers your business in the long run.
7Business owners are resourceful
Richard Stiennon, chief research analyst and founder of analyst firm IT-Harvest, claims that starting a business necessitates continuous creative thinking, so an entrepreneur's mind is constantly active.
"[They] cannot stop the flow of ideas," Stiennon explained. "Every problem is a chance to start a business to solve it."
We occasionally need to move to a new environment to spark the creative process. This could mean altering your physical appearance or distancing yourself mentally from the environment you usually live in. Among the strategies for altering the environment of your mind are:
● Reading a professional journal from a completely different industry than yours
● Imagining yourself in the shoes of another person and considering how they might approach a problem you face.
● Taking up a previously unconsidered hobby
● When your mind appears to be preoccupied with other tasks, a creative solution may emerge.
● Don't let the fact that you don't consider yourself creative deter you from pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams. With time and practice, creativity can be learned.
8Entrepreneurs make decisive decisions
Running a business requires you to act even when there isn't an obvious best course of action. Entrepreneurs are capable of making decisions in the face of numerous conflicting demands, according to Elene Cafasso, president and founder of the executive coaching company Enerpace Inc.
"If you get paralyzed when there are too many moving parts and too many contingencies," Cafasso says, "then owning your own business is not for you."
Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, can make decisions and act with certainty.
We all recognize, whether we are conscious of it or not, that even minor decisions carry risks and consequences, whether good, bad, or neutral. The question is whether you have the entrepreneurial courage to make a decision when the stakes are high. It is significant because running a business can be extremely stressful.
9Entrepreneurs are tough
As an entrepreneur, Hope Katz Gibbs, founder, and president of Incandescent Public Relations, believes that those born with the characteristics required to run their own business are willing to get back up after being knocked down. They can withstand setbacks and lead their team through adversity.
"Our ideas aren't always successful, but what distinguishes us is that we don't give up or give in," Gibbs explained. "We simply learn from what didn't work and what did, and then we start over." Entrepreneurs, she claims, are the last ones standing.
Consider how you've handled previous mistakes and failures. This does not necessarily foretell how you will act in the future. However, every business will experience failures of some kind, and some will even force you to close your doors. Can you stand up and continue moving?
Did you know? Management skills and a passion for networking are two other entrepreneurial traits that lead to success.
10Entrepreneurs are flexible
For business success in general and entrepreneurship in particular, adaptability and resilience are mutually exclusive concepts.
Entrepreneurs need to have the ability to function without certainty, especially in the beginning. Entrepreneurs must deal with a great deal of uncertainty when starting a business, but they can modify their plans as needed.
"[Entrepreneurs] think positively [and] don't overthink problems," marketing consultant Jennifer Frye explained. "Instead, [they] make wise decisions and are always willing to accept change when it occurs."
Adaptability, like optimism, is a way of thinking. When faced with a challenge, consider the following:
● Which aspects of your strategy could be improved?
● Who could point you in the right direction?
● What changed: the market, the medium, or your company?
● What changes can you make to make your idea work better in the face of these changes?
11Entrepreneurs are not afraid to fail
If you want to run your own business, you must be willing to fail in small ways and learn from those failures in order to improve the business. You may also face complete failure and must muster the courage to move on to the next thing.
"These people are risk takers," said Frye, who works with entrepreneurs and small business owners. "They persevere in the face of difficulties and are willing to fail quickly."
When starting a new business, it may seem counterproductive to ask yourself if you're willing to fail. However, if you are unwilling to take that risk, you should reconsider your strategy.
Cash flow problems, attempting to handle everything on their own, and lacking a clear future vision are the main pitfalls that keep entrepreneurs from succeeding.
Can you change your personality?
Many personality traits are thought to be inborn, but new research from the University of California, Davis, suggests that we are more malleable than previously thought. According to the report, "[certain] traits are... relatively stable, but changeable with effort and good timing."
How do you go about making these changes? First, believe in yourself and have a good reason to believe in yourself. "It is also important to consider motivational factors because success is more likely if people are motivated and believe that change is possible," according to the study.
So, if you weren't born persuasive, optimistic, resilient, or creative, work on developing these qualities. Examine the habits, skills, and behaviors of people who have these qualities, and look for books on how to develop them.
Did you know that?
Emotional intelligence is required for entrepreneurs. They can create team camaraderie instead of anxiety if they understand how their emotions affect everyone around them.
Working on these characteristics can benefit anyone.
It's wonderful to be born with entrepreneurial traits, but whether you're a natural-born entrepreneur or not, every aspiring business owner can work on them. Most entrepreneurs start businesses because they want to be their own bosses. You've already set the stage for entrepreneurial success if you want this flexibility, freedom, and independence in your career.
Find areas in your current life and career where you can put your entrepreneurial skills to use. Consider how to recover (resilience), find creative solutions (resourcefulness and creativity), or influence others (persuasiveness). If you can cultivate a few of these characteristics, your business will have a better chance of success.
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