6 Attributes of the Most Successful Entrepreneurs

Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 08:00am by Sabah Karimi in Life

Many people assume that entrepreneurs are the extroverted, go-getter personalities that are raring to go with their innovative idea every single day. However, both introverts and extroverts have their fair share of the entrepreneurship pie, and living your dreams might just be as simple as aligning yourself with some specific qualities and characteristics.

According to the book, Why Aren’t You Your Own Boss? Leaping Over the Obstacles That Stand Between You and Your Dream , there are some specific personality traits of the talented and most successful. From inventors to artists, learning how to turn a dream into a business involves some essential habits, and a different mindset than just being an employee.

Here are just six attributes of some of today’s leading entrepreneurs:

• High anxiety tolerance

  With insecurity and risk as a part of life, the skillful entrepreneur develops a high tolerance for anxiety and manages to keep stress at bay with ease. Getting comfortable just doesn’t come naturally; knowing how to work under pressure, assess risks, and make the best of anxiety may actually be a strong success driver.

• Learning from mistakes

  Most successful people will tell you that learning is part of the process, but successful entrepreneurs develop resilience and fortitude when they’ve made a mistake—no matter how serious they may be. Overcoming obstacles and challenges comes naturally, and thinking ahead for progress is almost a goal in itself.

• Delegating with effectiveness

  Successful entrepreneurs know how to delegate and share the workload when needed; instead of taking on a martyr-style role of doing everything on their own, they hand off assignments and projects to others. Doing this with clear direction and flexible timelines can lead to exceptionally powerful work teams.

• Critical thinking

  Critical thinkers by nature, successful entrepreneurs know how to filter out information and look for quality; being able to judge both objectively and subjectively takes practice, and having a grounded perspective requires a healthy level of critical thinking.

• Communication skills

  Both introverts and extroverts adopt essential communication skills and strategies to work with others. From customers to clients, knowing how to deliver and articulate a message is an asset to any venture.

• Flexibility

  Taking nothing for granted, the successful entrepreneur can adapt quickly to a challenge and look for opportunity when faced with a struggle. Being flexible requires an open mind and plenty of ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking, but there are many advantages of adapting a think-on-your-feet mindset.

Which attributes inspire you? What other characteristics do you have or admire that define the ideal entrepreneur personality?

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