Entrepreneurs – the fastest growing area of our economy. What makes these strange people, risk takers and wealth generators tick? Why do entrepreneurs take risks, endure pain, fatigue, and embarrassment? What makes them run? Is it money, fame, rock and roll or sex?
None of the above!
Entrepreneurs might want and enjoy those rewards but what drives them and what distinguishes them from an overachieving employee or salesperson is the desire to create. That’s it. Are you an entrepreneur? Do you pass the test? Many overachievers are not entrepreneurs.
Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers were entrepreneurs. They had dreams to create new horizons for humanity. A vision, inspiration and most importantly the belief that, “I can do that”, is the defining image of an entrepreneur.
How do you motivate an entrepreneur? Tell them, “It can’t be done”. Entrepreneurs love an impossible challenge. They will prove you wrong. It took Edison 10,000 attempts to create a light bulb that burned for several seconds. That persistence is the essence of an entrepreneur.
Not everyone who starts a business is an entrepreneur. Some do it out of desperation, or until they get a real job. They might become entrepreneurs one day, but they must move their mind set from ‘I can’t do that’ to one of ‘can do’.
What does it take to succeed as an entrepreneur?
The ability to learn what is needed to make your dream come true – and to acquire and apply those lessons and skills. Successful entrepreneurs go past the dream stage. Many have the potential to be successful. They have dreams, great ideas and they may even be right. But imagine if Edison quit after 1,000 attempts. He could rightly rationalize that it couldn’t be done. After all who would expect him to try 1,000, 2,000 or even 5,000 times? It took 10,000. Nobody cares about the failures. The results count. We now have light bulbs.