The Seven Traits of the Entrepreneurial Spirit

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I am an entrepreneur because I initiate and finance new commercial enterprises.  However, after spending a little time in self-reflection, I realize I have never asked myself, “what is my drives me?”  There is more to it than the easy answers: to make money, to become powerful, to gain financial freedom, to be in a position to help others and so on.

But first you should know why you need to read this article:

  • It might just help you to gain some insight as to how you may harness your potential entrepreneurial instincts
  • It might help you to appreciate the importance of developing the talent in others to power your business initiatives
  • It might help you to take special care to develop a business model right at the outset that will last.  It is in the sense that the main walls and roof will remain permanent, whilst what is inside will be altered by experience and changing circumstance.  These foundations will include such things as honesty, real interest in what the customers want, good financial control and a belief in quality as an end in itself.  Such foundations stand firm forever.
  • An interest and understanding in what your peers are doing in their businesses and the inevitable investment opportunities this will represent in a business you understand, as the future unfolds.

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The seven personal traits of the entrepreneurial spirit needed to make it all happen:

  1. PASSION.  From the Romans to Napoleon Hill—passion is the first trait of the entrepreneurial spirit.   Everyone is born with a passion; for some it may remain dormant their whole life, yet others can will themselves into this state of mind when driven by a purpose [in this sense, we see both tragedy and comedy in life.]
  2. VISION.  Out of passion, a vision is born.  The vision to an entrepreneur is like paint to an artist.  They can generate a dynamic and vivid picture of the future at will.
  3. STRATEGY.  Their vision is dynamic; it produces a strategy to create synergistic interlinking paths to reach the planned destination.  Once conceived, an entrepreneur’s strategy is woven into the fabric of the contemporary time and place, where it remains in constant flux: strong, sharp, and supple.
  4. LEADERSHIP.  Talented entrepreneurs bring the best out in people. Their very presence is a catalyst to success.  They are like a force of nature. By genuinely starting people on the journey to find their own passion, they generate a team of loyal followers, who work for love and money, in that order.
  5. MARKETING. Eccentric and quirky [maybe that is just me]. Diverse yet simple.  The entrepreneur is usually more potent if a holistic approach is employed [to everything!], both financial and personal.
  6. INTUITION.   Whether left alone in the dark jungle or dropped in the middle of the ocean, the synthesis of their five senses creates a sixth which serves as the ultimate adviser to all they do.
  7. TENACITY. The world is made of layers of energy and this gigantic force holds matter together.  While an artist is a master of one layer, an entrepreneur is connected to many, though not necessarily their master.  The entrepreneurial spirit is free from the desire to control and is not fixed on a static destination.   They take the path of least resistance, which often functions to form the greatest good.  Tenacity, in the sense of an entrepreneurial spirit, is a dedication to building layers of interacting efficiency for optimal effectiveness.  Once could say the entrepreneurial spirit is worthy of the prize for perpetual motion.

All entrepreneurs have an affinity.  Their life source comes from the same place.  The age of the entrepreneur has a new beginning.  We are reminded, once more, that we hold the wand.  People from every corner of the globe are realizing why entrepreneurs are here.

  • To entrepreneurs, life isn’t just about making money, even though they often have the Midas touch.
  • To entrepreneurs, business isn’t about success, even though they usually succeed.

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Life and business are one in the same; they are about the entrepreneurial experience and improving lives of others.

Please leave a comment, stating why you are here and who you are.  It is my hope that my blog will connect you with others that share our passion.  Leaving your name and a URL is a surefire way to avoid SPAM; improve your site ranking in the search engines; and leave a clear path for simpaticos to forge a connection with you.

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  • http://webgroupmarketing.com/ Bob Marconi

    Thanks for the info.

    For me, the two biggest problems are passion and vision. I’ve spent most of my life working for a living at various occupations – some short term and some long term. But one thing they all had in common was ‘customer service’, of one sort or another. Something I never really realized until the last few years, having retired some 3 years ago.

    Turning that into a ‘product’ is not as easy as it sounds. Don’t misunderstand me – I don’t mean product in a negative or monetary way (though one does need $$ to survive).

    I am a very laid back, don’t get excited, April Fool Baby guy. While I greatly enjoy ‘customer service’ does that qualify as the passion every one talks about? It’s hard to tell. I’ve also been a community service volunteer with a search and rescue organization (sjsar.org) for some 25+ years.

  • http://webgroupmarketing.com Bob Marconi

    Thanks for the info.

    For me, the two biggest problems are passion and vision. I’ve spent most of my life working for a living at various occupations – some short term and some long term. But one thing they all had in common was ‘customer service’, of one sort or another. Something I never really realized until the last few years, having retired some 3 years ago.

    Turning that into a ‘product’ is not as easy as it sounds. Don’t misunderstand me – I don’t mean product in a negative or monetary way (though one does need $$ to survive).

    I am a very laid back, don’t get excited, April Fool Baby guy. While I greatly enjoy ‘customer service’ does that qualify as the passion every one talks about? It’s hard to tell. I’ve also been a community service volunteer with a search and rescue organization (sjsar.org) for some 25+ years.

  • http://www.keystonespecialties.com/ Benjamin

    Excellent post full of abstract, yet valuable truths! By abstract, the 7 traits of the entrepreneurial spirit listed are intangible forces that may never cross our thought process, but affect our thought process as humans engaged in economic activity. As the world changes faster every day, those who have developed the traits of the entrepreneur within themselves will thrive, while others may find survival harder to achieve.

  • http://www.keystonespecialties.com Benjamin

    Excellent post full of abstract, yet valuable truths! By abstract, the 7 traits of the entrepreneurial spirit listed are intangible forces that may never cross our thought process, but affect our thought process as humans engaged in economic activity. As the world changes faster every day, those who have developed the traits of the entrepreneur within themselves will thrive, while others may find survival harder to achieve.

  • http://www.car-scratch-remover.com/ Karl Eberhardt

    Ah Grasshopper…er I mean Flywheel
    The path of the entrepreneur is many…nay…most times a path less traveled. For the entrepreneur passion and vision blend into a high octane fuel…that CANNOT be extinguished…in fact the more water people try to throw at it…the hotter it burns.

    I have returned to my roots as an entrepreneur…after a brief hiatus in the corporate world for 13yrs..I’m baaaaack.

    I left the corporate 9-5 safety of a nice engineering gig (actually 8-8 is more like it) cold turkey…with a half baked idea…which didn’t work the way I planned…and then I stumbled into internet marketing and building real businesses online…I have died and gone to heaven…it feels like home. In less than 6months I have created my first real business online that has matched my 6fig corporate salary…I truly cannot wait to wake up each morning these days and decide what project I will work on! What a contrast…I used to dread waking up in the morning…

    My entrepreneurial roots go back to when I was 10 yrs old…seeing a market…a demand…and filling that with products that only a 10yr old can do…without much money..but vast resources of resourcefulness…I managed to put together a full on surfboard factory in my parent’s backyard at the age of 13…it was all downhill from there…

    Resourcefulness…is the unlimited bank account that every entrepreneur has(wether they know it or not)…ever wonder about all of those rags to riches stories…just dumb luck…think again.

    If you subscribe to the law of attraction like I do…then you will agree that it is something that every successful entrepreneur understands…people, opportunities, money, joyfullness…all flow to you, like a magnet, if you “understand” and practice it.

    However money and success etc are nice they are NOT what fuel the passions of entrepreneurs…no…it is the desire to create out of thin air things that make people’s lives just a little better…or maybe a whole lot better…and the gratification of knowing that your vision, your passion…was the reason someone’s life changed for the better.

    I have a few visions for new endeavors for the very near future…however, my main passion/endeavor right now has morphed like I never could have imagined. I am touching people’s lives, teaching them a skill they may never thought they could do…and saving them hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in the bargain.

    I have earned my customers trust…and that my friends…as the MasterCard commercial says, “Is priceless”…and cannot be bought for any amount of money.

    …and all of this by the power of words on a webpage or an email…in cyberspace…oh yea…and a few choice video emails hosted on the Jive server…I am leading the charge to make all of my internet businesses…personal…bc the internet has become a impersonal place…however…as the Jive dudes say…that is all about to change…

    Those of us, the entrepreneurs of today, that “get it” are about to change the face of the internet forever…better hang on…bc…it’s going to be a wild ride…for those that want to grab hold of the speeding locomotive…when it comes by…better hang on tight!

    Here is something that I strive for each day…it is on my office wall…

    “The thing is to become a master and in your old age to acquire the courage to do what children did when they knew nothing.”
    -Henry Miller

    Karl Eberhardt

  • http://www.car-scratch-remover.com Karl Eberhardt

    Ah Grasshopper…er I mean Flywheel
    The path of the entrepreneur is many…nay…most times a path less traveled. For the entrepreneur passion and vision blend into a high octane fuel…that CANNOT be extinguished…in fact the more water people try to throw at it…the hotter it burns.

    I have returned to my roots as an entrepreneur…after a brief hiatus in the corporate world for 13yrs..I’m baaaaack.

    I left the corporate 9-5 safety of a nice engineering gig (actually 8-8 is more like it) cold turkey…with a half baked idea…which didn’t work the way I planned…and then I stumbled into internet marketing and building real businesses online…I have died and gone to heaven…it feels like home. In less than 6months I have created my first real business online that has matched my 6fig corporate salary…I truly cannot wait to wake up each morning these days and decide what project I will work on! What a contrast…I used to dread waking up in the morning…

    My entrepreneurial roots go back to when I was 10 yrs old…seeing a market…a demand…and filling that with products that only a 10yr old can do…without much money..but vast resources of resourcefulness…I managed to put together a full on surfboard factory in my parent’s backyard at the age of 13…it was all downhill from there…

    Resourcefulness…is the unlimited bank account that every entrepreneur has(wether they know it or not)…ever wonder about all of those rags to riches stories…just dumb luck…think again.

    If you subscribe to the law of attraction like I do…then you will agree that it is something that every successful entrepreneur understands…people, opportunities, money, joyfullness…all flow to you, like a magnet, if you “understand” and practice it.

    However money and success etc are nice they are NOT what fuel the passions of entrepreneurs…no…it is the desire to create out of thin air things that make people’s lives just a little better…or maybe a whole lot better…and the gratification of knowing that your vision, your passion…was the reason someone’s life changed for the better.

    I have a few visions for new endeavors for the very near future…however, my main passion/endeavor right now has morphed like I never could have imagined. I am touching people’s lives, teaching them a skill they may never thought they could do…and saving them hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in the bargain.

    I have earned my customers trust…and that my friends…as the MasterCard commercial says, “Is priceless”…and cannot be bought for any amount of money.

    …and all of this by the power of words on a webpage or an email…in cyberspace…oh yea…and a few choice video emails hosted on the Jive server…I am leading the charge to make all of my internet businesses…personal…bc the internet has become a impersonal place…however…as the Jive dudes say…that is all about to change…

    Those of us, the entrepreneurs of today, that “get it” are about to change the face of the internet forever…better hang on…bc…it’s going to be a wild ride…for those that want to grab hold of the speeding locomotive…when it comes by…better hang on tight!

    Here is something that I strive for each day…it is on my office wall…

    “The thing is to become a master and in your old age to acquire the courage to do what children did when they knew nothing.”
    -Henry Miller

    Karl Eberhardt

  • http://www.professionalpromotions.biz/ Brett Carlson

    Thanks for the blog Flywheel, I appreciate it. I can think of one/two more traits that are not talked about much in our culture but are highly important regarding this topic and they are Integrity and Character. Integrity means ” a wholeness, a oneness, a completeness coming from the root word “integer” meaning one. We need to be people who have genuine Integrity. Another example of Integrity is are we the same person when we are alone (say surfing the net, or how we spend our free time) as we are with clients and co-workers. On the other hand do people see you as a person with “character” or do they just call you a “character”? big difference.

    I think of the person, Jesus, who demonstrated Passion, Vision, Strategy, Leadership, Marketing (people are still talking about him 2000 years later, great marketing plan) Intuition, Tenacity, Integrity and Character to the highest level. If you check His life out in detail all this other stuff will fall into place.

    In closing I agree with the statement from above “Life and business are one in the same; they are about the entrepreneurial experience and improving lives of others.” Jesus had a purpose with the passion to leave people “better off” than the condition He found them in.

  • http://www.professionalpromotions.biz Brett Carlson

    Thanks for the blog Flywheel, I appreciate it. I can think of one/two more traits that are not talked about much in our culture but are highly important regarding this topic and they are Integrity and Character. Integrity means ” a wholeness, a oneness, a completeness coming from the root word “integer” meaning one. We need to be people who have genuine Integrity. Another example of Integrity is are we the same person when we are alone (say surfing the net, or how we spend our free time) as we are with clients and co-workers. On the other hand do people see you as a person with “character” or do they just call you a “character”? big difference.

    I think of the person, Jesus, who demonstrated Passion, Vision, Strategy, Leadership, Marketing (people are still talking about him 2000 years later, great marketing plan) Intuition, Tenacity, Integrity and Character to the highest level. If you check His life out in detail all this other stuff will fall into place.

    In closing I agree with the statement from above “Life and business are one in the same; they are about the entrepreneurial experience and improving lives of others.” Jesus had a purpose with the passion to leave people “better off” than the condition He found them in.

  • http://www.TBS-SEO.com/ Brett Davis

    Starting with Passion and ending with Tenacity are perfect bookends, Flywheel! As an affiliate of ThinkBIG, we at http://www.TBS-SEO.com hear daily of the S.P.E.C.S. for SUCCESS…Strength, Passion, Enthusiasm, Confidence & Sincerity! In our search engine optimization business we can combine these two lists for a dynamite marketing campaign to both new and existing customers. Great post!

  • http://www.TBS-SEO.com Brett Davis

    Starting with Passion and ending with Tenacity are perfect bookends, Flywheel! As an affiliate of ThinkBIG, we at http://www.TBS-SEO.com hear daily of the S.P.E.C.S. for SUCCESS…Strength, Passion, Enthusiasm, Confidence & Sincerity! In our search engine optimization business we can combine these two lists for a dynamite marketing campaign to both new and existing customers. Great post!

  • http://jivesystems.com/ Flywheel

    Brett Davis,

    Yes, indeed. Integrity and Character are very, very, very important. Thanks for adding them to the list for our readers.

    Flywheel

  • http://jivesystems.com Flywheel

    Brett Davis,

    Yes, indeed. Integrity and Character are very, very, very important. Thanks for adding them to the list for our readers.

    Flywheel

  • http://jivesystems.com/ Flywheel

    Karl Eberhardt,

    You need a Blog :)

    I just launched an ecosystem blogging platform and coaching program. One of my team members will be contacting you. He will deploy a similar version of the jiveSYSTEMS Blog on the domain of your choice [on me].

    Thank you for your post.

    Flywheel

  • http://jivesystems.com Flywheel

    Karl Eberhardt,

    You need a Blog :)

    I just launched an ecosystem blogging platform and coaching program. One of my team members will be contacting you. He will deploy a similar version of the jiveSYSTEMS Blog on the domain of your choice [on me].

    Thank you for your post.

    Flywheel