Nowadays, everyone wants to be called an entrepreneur. Whether they run a small cafe in Amsterdam, a car-servicing business in Manchester, or a side hustle online store selling eco-friendly cosmetics. As much as we hate labels we all would like to be considered a part of the glamorous entrepreneur’s club.
Some people link entrepreneurs only with industry disruptive and innovative businesses, preferably startups – also known as unicorns, and many times limit the industry itself to tech.
I tend to think about entrepreneurship in a totally different way. What matters more to me is the personality and character of a person rather than if they run a successful startup and made it to Forbes ’30 under 30’.
The true entrepreneurial people that I am talking about are:
PASSIONATE
First and foremost! Because only when you find passion in whatever you are doing, you will find the strength and the drive to do what you want to do and achieve what you want to achieve. Being passionate is all about obeying your energy – figuring out which activities make you feel more alive (give the energy you have put back to you) and which ones are draining you. And then doing more of the first ones and as little as possible of the second. Here is also where self-awareness comes to play.
SELF-MOTIVATED
Finding that will within yourself is crucial in terms of entrepreneurial spirit. True E’s need little direction and thrive in planning, deciding, and executing. The biggest power and natural source of self-motivation come from passion, genuine interest, and curiosity.
DISCIPLINED
Motivation is not everything, since everyone, every now and then will experience a lack of it. When this happens the only thing that will save you are discipline and the power of habit. Making these traits an effort is worth a while because it builds character and brings benefits in the future. However, when building habits, be careful not to go to hard on yourself and trying to push on everything at once – it is the easiest way to beat yourself up when you fail to complete a point on the list and feeling overwhelmed.
STRATEGIC THINKERS
Something that we usually place under the ability to make good decisions when running an organization, but in fact, it finds its reflection in many aspects of life. To me, strategic thinking can be found in any kind of planning and decision-making process, because it involves looking at things from many perspectives and points of view, being able to draw conclusions, and predictions and at the same time being flexible in adjusting your own judgment. So, whether you are implementing a project in your organization, planning your next holidays, or running a multi-million dollar business, you need four things: correct data, good information management, flexibility, and adaptability in decision making. All, bearing in mind your end-goals.
GOAL/ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTED
Is needed because entrepreneurs simply ‘get things done’ and with this trait, they find it more rewarding than other people. What makes them most proud and fulfilled is completing a task, a milestone, or finalizing a project/job. This energy then can be used for a further drive, usually ending up as a hell of a ride. In an organizational environment, it’s usually addressed via clear, measurable KPI’s that bring a sense of progress and create room for improvement. Constant growth is crucial in any entrepreneurial mindset.
PERSISTENT
Living by Winston Churchill’s famous words:
If you are going through hell – keep going.
Entrepreneurs cannot find themselves discouraged by failures. On the contrary, they need them in order to grow and adjust their thinking. They have to be able to keep going into the direction of their true north regardless of obstacles thrown at them. This is possible only when you have a clear and thought-through vision. A vision of where you want to be, what you want to achieve, and what kind of person you want to become. The rest is logistics.
VISION
Last, but not least. Having a vision is critical to the entrepreneurial spirit. Having it written down and revisiting on a regular basis helps to keep on track of your own development, as well as the evolution of your company or project. Staying true to your ideas is also very rewarding.
adrapinska 