Top Five Entrepreneurial Traits

People these days are using the word entrepreneur so often and mixing it with having an entrepreneurial mindset. For me entrepreneurial mindset is an approach towards a problem, solution, opportunity and also towards life itself. Entrepreneurial mindset are entrepreneurial traits in a person which can be developed as well. So for me the right question would be what are those traits? Here are five entrepreneurial traits that I have observed in seasoned entrepreneurs and also which I practice and preach myself. Many articles have already been written but reading an article and practicing it and then being pushed to write about it explains that these words really do matter.

• Starters Mindset

First and foremost, I believe one must have a starters mindset. As an entrepreneur you should have the courage and confidence to start something new. Taking the first step is the most difficult part. Why? Because that first step makes you more vulnerable to be attacked or laughed at and due to this there are cultural apprehensions at work like 'what will my parents think of me', 'my friends will definitely laugh at me', 'I can't do this because I have never done it before' and one of my favorites, 'I am a woman' (whatever that is supposed to mean) bla bla bla. Just put in all those negative affirmations here that are produced socially and internally so you should get what I mean.

If you really want to be an entrepreneur or a leader in your profession you must develop a starters mindset and for that you will have to fight or IGNORE APPREHENSIONS learnt socially. It is not easy, you have to practice this every day and every moment! You have to accept vulnerability and grow through it but once you get a hang of it you realize this exercise just continues to polish you and is good for you and your initiative. So what I have observed time and again is to have that Starters Mindset to 'start, launch or just do it', that to me is the foremost important trait for having an entrepreneurial mindset.

• Comfortable being Uncomfortable

Another thing that many seasoned entrepreneurs repeatedly remind us is to be uncomfortable, rather make it a habit. Why? Because as an entrepreneur you have to wear multiple hats. You will need to be a salesperson, receptionist, pamphlet distributor, customer facing officer, research and development officer making nearly 30-40 calls a day to users for feedback but only receiving a quarter of genuine responses because the users are busy people and they don't want to talk to you. Going through all of that is very uncomfortable, its tests your RESILIENCE and patience. Your customers or users can be rude to you BUT they must not smell a hint of aversion from your end or you have lost them and that is very uncomfortable. As time passes by you soon realize these are hands-on real life based self development exercises. The sooner you become comfortable in being uncomfortable the better.

• Be an Educator

Third most important entrepreneurial trait is to have an educator's approach. As a leader or a founder of a startup you will need to educate your team in a way that it will be beneficial for the grand vision that you have for your startup. Only YOU, the originator, hold the grander vision and so YOU will have to take every one in the team along yourself because they are not going to have a divine revelation about YOUR vision. If that was not enough, you will have to be your customers educator as well! Remember you are introducing something new, so people will need education and teaching in that domain. If you really are honest and empathetic with to your customers and want to serve them with a product or service that they would love then you would have to educate your customers about the benefits of your product or service.

• Being Patient

Fourth important entrepreneurial trait which everyone knows already but very few of us really understand its importance. Patience is a rare skill these days because of our dependence on the culture of instant gratification due to increased use of technology. Everything happens so quickly with the click of a button. Patience can also be directly linked with being focused, you can only work in a focused manner IF you are patient. So the trait of being patient during hard times is what polishes you as an entrepreneur. You will not instantly start sales or have collaborations or build a team, IT WILL TAKE TIME and you will need to be patient by working every day. As if that was all, once you do have a team or customers or partners THEN you have to be patient with them! You also have to be patient with your limitations because on the way you will discover there are so many things that you cannot do and might have to learn. Patience is a SKILL and a very important LIFE LONG trait which you and I just can't underestimate. We have to develop it and keep on reminding ourselves to be patient.

• Being a Value Creator

Fifth is to be obsessed with value creation. I have observed seasoned entrepreneurs to be value creation machines. Good entrepreneurs are always thinking about VALUE or IMPACT and ask 'WHAT will be the impact of ABCD' or 'HOW much' or 'HOW many lives will be impacted' etc. This obsession with creating value stirs things into ACTION. The reason I am here right now is because I want to bring value by contributing and all my actions revolve around value creation. Merely going through the moves with out focus just doing anything and everything will not create value for any one. Creating value is the best use of time because time is limited and we just cannot buy it back.

What is your favorite entrepreneurial trait? Do drop in your comments and feedback.