“If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to build theirs.” – Bill Gates.
Are you an entrepreneur? If so, there’s a good chance you have some of the same characteristics as other successful entrepreneurs. Although there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, five key characteristics are often seen in successful entrepreneurs.
Knowing what they are can help you assess your strengths and weaknesses and determine how to improve your business skills. So, what are they? Keep reading to find out!
Why is Entrepreneurship Important?
Successful entrepreneurship is vital to modern market economies as they play a crucial role in creating innovations that help move society forward. In addition, entrepreneurs create jobs and add to economic growth.
- 90% of new American billionaires are self-made. (SmallBizGenius, 2022)
- There are 582 million entrepreneurs worldwide.
- 20% of small businesses fail within the first year.
- In 2016, 25 million Americans operated their own business.
By creating new technology, products, and services, they stimulate new employment, contribute to solving societal problems, and improve the standard of living.
I) Leadership skills
Leadership skills are an essential trait for entrepreneurs as they must be able to motivate and inspire their team members to achieve success.
Successful business leaders are responsible for the following:
- establishing goals,
- promoting accountability,
- facilitating collaboration
- Problem-solving skills
“The most valuable leadership lesson from Mark Zuckerberg is to hire someone who excels at the activities that your business depends on and that you cannot do well.” (Inc.com)
Entrepreneurs and other business professionals often face challenges that they must overcome. Strong Leaders set an example for behavior and performance that align with the organization’s culture.
II) Communication skills
“Teamwork and effective communication are critical for every organization, large or small. And if teams can’t work together and don’t have good communication and rapport, they are unlikely to succeed.” – Ray Kroc, Founder of McDonald’s Restaurants.
Entrepreneurs are always working on improving their communication skills because it assists them in sharing their vision and presenting ideas clearly. This enables them to work effectively with their staff, team members, clients, and stakeholders.
III) High Risk-Orientation
Entrepreneurs are risk-oriented and accept calculated risks as the price of opportunity and success. They know their ideas cannot be realized without accepting the risk that the venture might fail.
The level of risk is mitigated when entrepreneurs consider all possible alternatives, calculations and assess which options are best before committing to an investment, project or major purchase.
For instance, Jeff Bezos left a comfortable high-paying job to start a small online company initially selling books out of his garage. He chose to chase a dream rather than accept a life of contentment. He chose the great over the good.
IV) High Self-motivation
Motivation is vital for an entrepreneur in the same way fuel is essential for an airplane; nothing gets off the ground without it. A business isn’t always booming with a profit or celebrating achievements.
Completing mundane or complex tasks is a daily necessity, and entrepreneur’s ambition pushes them through barriers as they strive to reach their goals.
According to Forbes, Top Motivations That Drive The Best Entrepreneurs
- Making a difference in the world
- Find personal meaning from building a business
- Satisfaction of doing something great
- Personal growth and accomplishment
- Seeing the actual value of one’s beliefs
- Helping others achieve their goals
V) Strong Work Ethics
One of the most important traits of a successful entrepreneur is a strong work ethic. Successful entrepreneurs require strong discipline and drive. Entrepreneurs can’t afford to have a weak mindset. A strong work ethic and positive attitude allow entrepreneurs to overcome challenges in pursuit of operating successful businesses.
For example, Elon Musk is a hard-working entrepreneur, working for about 100 hours a week, and has been productive for many years. Musk is considered the hardest working employee at Tesla, setting standards for his colleagues to follow and implement.
Great entrepreneurs must effectively communicate, sell, focus, learn, and strategize. Finally, Growing a business requires a sound strategy based on inherent business sense, basic money management skills, and a strong work ethic.
“I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” –Steve Jobs.
To be a successful entrepreneur, you must know what characteristics you need to work on. Are you industrious? A risk-taker? Do you have high uncertainty tolerance? Knowing the answer to these questions can help you focus your efforts and improve your business skills. We hope this article has helped you better understand what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. What are some other qualities you think are essential for entrepreneurs?
Thank you for reading our article!
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