Do you think successful entrepreneurs [3] are smarter, better trained or more experienced than an average person? Think again. Success in business, or any field, relies on how you think as well as what you do. The top performers in all professions share key traits that make them successful. You may already have many of these traits; you just need to identify and cultivate them to be successful.
- Know what you really want and be ready to pay the price to be successful at it.
- Act on your desire for greatness - entrepreneurs have a higher capacity for work and are willing to do what others can’t or won’t do. Prepare yourself for working and thinking when everyone else is asleep.
- Keep striving - to improve, learn, apply and grow. Entrepreneurs know that lifelong learning serves you better than resting on your laurels.
- Do the ordinary, little things, better than everyone else - success in any career comes from being better at a variety of different skills.
- Be determined to bring your ideas to life - no matter what obstacles you face. In the immortal words of Winston Churchill, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
- Focus, focus, focus - success is about practicing and perfecting the fundamentals, those little, ordinary and all too frequently boring fundamentals.
- Keep mentally fit – this helps you overcome distractions and stay focused when you need it most.
- Be creative - the best entrepreneurs build businesses, develop products and create services that meet a need no one else saw. So keep an eye out for new ideas and read everything you can get your hands on.
- Conquer your fears – don’t hide from them or let them rule your life.
- Seize the moment and define it - rather than letting the moment define you. Instead of worrying about winning or losing, be concerned with what you can produce.
- Live and work with a larger purpose – this way, you can leave a legacy. After all, your glorious career counts for nothing if it doesn’t live beyond you.
- Inspire excellence in everyone around you - entrepreneurs know that it’s in striving that you find greatness, not in the outcome.
If you weren’t born with these traits, don’t fret. Stay confident and maintain a larger vision while taking focused action to boost the skills you need. Get a mentor in areas where your skills are weak and seek out advice specific to your career [4] from trusted sources.
What are your thoughts on becoming an entrepreneur? If there are traits you think should be added to the above list, please comment below.