“There is no such thing as a “typical” successful entrepreneur” According to Adelaide Lancaster, Co-founder, In Good Company Workplaces & Author, The Big Enough Company. “We come in all shapes, sizes and flavors.
Still, myths abound, and most of us walk around with a specific caricature of what an entrepreneur is like in our minds. Most often that image includes someone who is bold, daring, comfortable with risks and a consummate schmoozer. There’s no problem with this constellation of traits, except that it can hold a lot of other people back. I have met countless aspiring entrepreneurs who fear they aren’t cut out for the job because they keep comparing themselves against this common stereotype. The truth is that the average entrepreneur is actually quite different from that brazen ‘let’s make a deal’ kind of guy or gal.
Contrary to the popular stereotype, here are 5 surprising traits that many successful entrepreneurs share.
1. Ability to admit (comfortably and openly) what they don’t know.
Far from the know-it-all, most successful entrepreneurs spend a lot of time identifying what they don’t know and, more importantly, how they can find out. Openly admitting knowledge gaps is as important as comfortably asking for help. Most people are hesitant about displaying this much vulnerability, but entrepreneurs know that their survival depends on it.
2. Willingness to be cautious and mindful.
The common entrepreneurial stereotype tends to favor a take charge, let’s get it done yesterday kind of attitude. While almost all entrepreneurs have a keen sense of urgency, they are also responsible for making a small pool of resources stretch a long way. This necessitates a spendthrift-ness that extends beyond money. Successful entrepreneurs must also learn to strategically marshal other important resources such as time, energy and favors, making the phrase “let me think about it” an important tool.
3. A focus on relationships instead of sales.
Great entrepreneurs realize that, second to their own time, their network is their greatest asset. These relationships can provide not only information, support and introductions, but also, of course, sales — but only if they are navigated properly. People tire quickly of a salesman whose only focus is pushing their new, latest, greatest gadget. Instead, successful entrepreneurs focus on building long-term relationships and concern themselves more with how they can help rather than how they can gain. They know that authentic and generous relationships are essential in creating abundance….”
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