Anybody can be an entrepreneur, but it takes a certain type of person to make a successful one.
It’s all well and good having that entrepreneurial spirit, but that doesn’t mean you’re destined to be a hit. No, it takes certain traits, and quite often they can be something you can work at.
There are many traits which can contribute towards a successful business. But what are the traits that really make you stand out from the crowd?
Take a look at the nine traits that are most commonly found in the very best entrepreneurs…
Motivation
Motivation is perhaps the single biggest trait that an entrepreneur has. They need that get-up-and-go attitude and be a complete self-starter. All the very biggest business owners have that determination to reach the top, and have done so since day one.
A good way to maintain motivation is by regularly setting goals and striving to achieve them. What’s more, once you start your business and have employees working under you, it’s important to ensure that you’re keeping others motivated too.
Mark Zuckerberg is a great example of someone who knows how to keep members of staff motivated. Suri Sriyakumar, CEO of ARC Document Solutions, wrote a fantastic piece about how Zuckerberg taught him the importance of motivation in the workplace, with effective communication being among the key attributes.
Risk Taking
Another aspect of business that Zuckerberg, and thousands of other business owners are adept at is understanding the value of risk taking.
Of course, there’s a fine line between a risk coming off and a huge mistake, which is why it takes a special kind of character to really make that gamble pay off. Risks from top entrepreneurs are calculated. They won’t always come off, but given the analysis and nature of the person, the rewards will eventually be reaped.
Elon Musk is of course a great example of a successful entrepreneur who took a gamble. Back in 2008, when the US economy was in a real trough, Tesla were a brand who were struggling. But rather than play safe, Elon Musk went bold and invested his last $35million into the brand.
Today, Tesla is a brand worth billions and among one of the most forward-thinking businesses on the planet.
Creativity
Being an entrepreneur is all about discovering the next big thing, and that generally means you require a lot of creativity to find that gap in the market.
It’s outside the box thinking that drives the ideas that find take businesses and ventures to the next level, and while many think it’s something that comes naturally, it can be learned also.
There are many courses and activities in which you can improve your creativity and even if you’re at the highest level of a business there’s still plenty to learn. The number of online courses today are significant, while even interacting with puzzles and brain-training can create small improvements that over time can have a big impact on the way you think.
Decisiveness
Of course, as someone powering their own destiny, an entrepreneur must be strong enough to make decisions. While this seems obvious, it’s a trait that very few of us have. Decisions need to be clear, constructive and often made under intense pressure and risk.
You don’t have the room to sit back and let things happen. Entrepreneurs are always alert to what is going on in their world of work and take action exactly when needed.
Many entrepreneurs have also made decisions they didn’t necessarily like at the time, but it was the best for the business. That is always needed to ensure your business moves forward and becomes the biggest success it can be.
Flexibility
While clear decisions are key, it’s also wise to ensure you have a flexible approach to your business. New technology, regulations and competitors can come in and require you to change how you operate, and a good entrepreneur will be savvy enough to adapt and change to create a clearer path moving forward.
This can often mean being respectful and receptive to the needs of your workforce, or being more open minded to other people’s ideas, particularly if you’ve been able to create an office space that’s fueled on motivation and creativity.
By being flexible and open you allow your workforce to invest in the vision you have created and not only buy into it but also feel a part of it, which is often the hallmark of success.
Interesting related article: “What is an Entrepreneur?”