IT HAS BEEN SAID that great leaders are born and not made the same statement can be made about Entrepreneurs. To be an entrepreneur is to be an agent of change whose mission is to discover new ways of combining resources in order to mold them into a startup company offering new innovative products, services and ideas.
The entrepreneurial spirit comes from your heart and soul. For it is the wanting to conceive of something that is the essence of your dreams and visions for your future. When your startup comes to life the visions that it produces will shape our country in the years and decades to come.
To be a creation of somebody else’s plan is the antithesis of everything that an entrepreneur is or aspires to be. The true entrepreneur is not only one who aspires but inspires as well. To be inspired by others to embark on your journey to become an entrepreneur is a good road map to follow. Adopting the mantra that was created for you is an enabling agent for failure from following instead of leading.
Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Arianna Huffington with honorable mention going to Walt Disney who created a fantasy world filled with loveable characters who would also serve as role models for our children. Despite setbacks the individuals named above would not allow anything nor anybody deter them from the success they knew they could achieve.
Failure when properly scrutinized can become roots deeply planted to flower into future success. A product of creation will never be able to undertake this evolutionary process. Their lone purpose is to assist in nurturing something that will never be their own. When the walls begin to crack and crumble so will they. There will be no ability to rebuild from the ashes of the once was since as stated previously it was never their own to begin with.
To be an entrepreneur is to be and think as an existentialist meaning that they believe that they (humans) define the purpose of their lives while unceasingly striving to make independent rational decisions despite living in an ever increasing irrational world. Their thinking is to an extent in line with the philosophies of existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre who explored the problems, joys and even anguish of being fundamentally free.
Unlike their created/molded counterparts the rain makers have an established set of rules and values that they hold to. Age is not a barrier to being successful. The risk factors involved are researched until they are mitigated as much as possible. Risk is an inescapable realty an established or seeking to be entrepreneur that they take on with aplomb. It is that character trait that sets them apart from the others.
While taking risks and enduring failures that would lead others to abandon their project these people who hold themselves in high self-esteem look only at the broader picture. Albert Einstein made the observation that ambiguity is something the entrepreneur has a great tolerance for as they fully realize change brings with it new opportunities. The prospect of new opportunity will invigorate them.
A person who is a product of being created will be exposed by their lack of intuition. There is no sense of commitment on their part. They know not how to focus on their own lives so as to be able to focus on the targeted outcome and tend be easily distracted. A sense of purpose or urgency to get the job done is missing from their genre.
Definitions of what an entrepreneur is and what they are made of are not in short supply. Those who are born into it know this is their life’s mission. What is also known is that they have engrossed in study and tend be highly educated. They are a breed unto themselves.
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Thank you Joel! Wonderful article! In a way… I think… people are born with the particular feeling of inner freedom… will to create… personal empowerment and autonomy… to express their ideas and expectations… working on their own agenda, without anybody’s control. But there are also people who develop such a feeling… who have good reasons to jump into the middle of the arena at some point of their life… and they ask themselves a series of (fateful) questions: “can I make it on my own, or I need someone who gives me a salary?” – “Have I got what it takes to shoulder a greater responsibility?” – “Am I brave enough to risk?” If the answers to the questions are a clear YES, then… they do it. I believe that the biggest problem related to failures…(if we talk about startups) is that many people seem pretty focused on themselves… but unfortunately, many do not realize that they can’t get that kind of entrepreneurial “progress”… all by themselves. If they want a chance to win, they need to be surrounded by Great People. Only in this case, the power of the Group is higher than the sum of its members. People is ALL… but this is an aspect that is often overlooked… Sorry, I may have strayed off topic just a bit… Great article Joel! Thank you.
Massimo, Thank you for your very kind compliment in addition to reading the article and posting your comment. Your comments are very well put. Making this decision and having the courage to go through with it are two very different things. As you pointed out the power of the group is higher than the sum of its members. May I ask if you have entertained the idea of becoming an entrepreneur? All my best.
Thank you Joel! Joel… of course you can ask… the answer is yes.. I’ve been an entrepreneur for years… At a certain point of my life, several years ago, I realized I had to broaden my horizons… and I embraced entrepreneurship. Thank you.
Massimo, I appreciate how quickly you responded to my queries which are designed to get a better idea of the type of material readers like yourself enjoy the most. I look forward to your continued readership and comments. All my best.
Joel thank you. If you agree, we can even connect on LinkedIn. It would be a pleasure to me. As I alwas say… what we need around here.. on this little ball we live in.. in the immensity of the universe.. is positive people. POSITIVE. Positive people who make positive things which can echo in a positive way.. in the full range of human activities. If we can’t do that now… through our global pervasive connectivity…when may we make it? Thank you.
Massimo, Please by all means send me an invitation to connect with you on LinkedIn. Once we are connected I can if you agree put you on my list of people that I send my articles to on an individual basis if you should so agree. If I do not accept your invitation today as it is a hectic day for me I will accept on Saturday evening. Thank for your wonderful idea!
Joel thank you for your kindness!
Massimo, Thank you for accepting my LinkedIn invitation request. Normally I endorse the top skills of all my new connections but LinkedIn sometimes does not allow for that due to some quirk (amongst many) with that feature. Rest assured I will keep trying. You seem to have hit the nail on the head with your comments. In your mind what are the qualities an true entrepreneur should have. I greatly appreciate your very kind compliment along with the tile you took to read my article. All my best.