What Makes an Entrepreneur? A Look at Their 5 Die-Hard Traits!

“What Makes an Entrepreneur?”

Think carefully before you answer. Because, this question is not about distinguishing good entrepreneurs from the bad ones. It’s also not about who among them has a Midas touch and who doesn’t.

Being an entrepreneur is no cakewalk. So, whoever has taken or is planning to take this plunge, take a bow. Success or failure in entrepreneurship is not important. The fact that an entrepreneur dares to take an uncharted path, move out of a comfort zone to pursue a vision, and this despite knowing that it is going to be a tough, challenging journey defines the undying spirit of an entrepreneur.

In the course of my entrepreneurship journey, I have come across these 5 die-hard traits that make someone the ‘entrepreneur’.

Vision

Entrepreneur are dreamers, they know where they want to be in the future. They have a crystal clear vision and a definite sense of purpose and direction to fuel it. Some people say entrepreneurs are gamblers. Well, they are not. Entrepreneurs are just this bunch of people who possess an uncanny ability of farsightedness and gut instinct. They recognize the unique opportunities which others don’t see and connect the dots to transform the picture in their imagination onto the canvas.

Passion

No matter how clichéd it sounds, passion is a necessary ingredient in the entrepreneurial make. I have met entrepreneurs who are exceptionally talented, experienced or hard – working, but they lack the passion to live their dream, above everything else. It is the passion which pushes true entrepreneurs to march ahead and relentlessly drives them even when the going gets tough.

Thinking Big

Entrepreneurs are not afraid to dream, think and play big. They don’t limit their potential. They try to scale their business, when they see a suitable opportunity. Or, at least they try to catch the big fish (client) even while remaining small. Once they think big, they take steps in terms of raising capital, hiring additional manpower, networking or implementing efficient systems to make it big.

At the same time, entrepreneurs are also prepared to face the curve balls, make adjustments in their plans, ready to evolve and adapt to the situations while playing big.

Let me also clarify that by ‘thinking big’, I do not necessarily mean scale. Scalability is only one aspect of success of a venture, and all ventures need not be designed for scale. In my view thinking big is about not settling for the mediocre. Even if someone is starting on restaurant, how to make the experience in that restaurant extra-ordinary, not just marginally better than other restaurants is also about thinking big.

Self – discipline

Entrepreneurs are self-disciplined and driven from within. They are consistent in their thoughts and action. They know they are the ones who will suffer the consequences if they are not disciplined. They stick to their decisions and strive for becoming better than the best. Self-discipline gives them patience, perseverance, power, integrity and confidence to beat the odds and achieve goals.

Continuous Learning

Entrepreneurs are hungry for knowledge. They are lifelong learners. They find mentors, read extensively, network with fellow entrepreneurs and learn from the mistakes of self and others. They keep an open mind and are ready to embrace any idea or solution that could be useful for their organization in creating value for society. Only when they learn, they create something new.

A true blue entrepreneur may be tempted to give up, but he never does. He doesn’t regret his decision of turning into an entrepreneur. He keeps trying and going strong.

About the Author: Prajakt Raut is an entrepreneur and entrepreneurship evangelist. Prajakt’s personal goal in life is to encourage and assist a 100,000 people to become entrepreneurs.