by Steve Tobak www.inc.com
What have the great entrepreneurs such as --Mayer, Page, Zuckerberg--have in common, that makes them better than all the rest.
jdlasica, Gobierno de Chile, Giorgio Montersino, Red Innova [4]/Flickr; Getty
From left: Mark Zuckerberg, Marissa Mayer, Jack Dorsey, Phil Libin, Alberto Perlman
Super Succesful Entrepreneurs seem to have unique qualities, some more eccentric than others. Marissa Mayer is a high-fashion workaholic. Mark Zuckerberg is obsessed with the product. Larry Page is a geeky introvert. Larry Ellison and Richard Branson are adrenaline freaks that race yachts, fly planes, and buy entire islands.
All that may be true, but it’s a big mistake to think that defines them.
Successful entrepreneurs seem to have 7 traits in common.
1.They all have a process. It’s the strangest thing but every single one of them seems to have their own process for thinking things through, making decisions, whatever. They’re very process-oriented. Sometimes they don’t even know it.
2.They trust their gut. It seems they’ve spent their entire lives being self-absorbed or self-sufficient. As a result, they’re extremely self-confident when it comes to trusting their own instincts and following whatever it is that inspires them. They will listen to others -- a trusted few -- but they’ll still make the final call in the end.
3.They have a passion for what they do. That’s why they do it. Whether it’s writing software code or coming up with the next hot gadget, they love it. It inspires them. It makes them feel safe, comfortable. It draws them like a powerful magnet. They feel at home doing it. And there’s nothing else they’d rather do. Nothing.
4. They’re unusually quick on the uptake. They can assimilate data, come to grips with a situation, or grasp something that took you two hours to understand in what seems like a heartbeat. It goes without saying that they’re unusually smart.
5. They’re born problem solvers. To them, problem solving is a fantastic game. They get off on it. They live for it. And they’re the best at it. Once they understand the problem, they revel in bringing their intellect, inspiration, and observations to bear in coming up with the right solution, plan, decision, whatever’s appropriate for the situation.
6. They’ve got something to prove. It’s not usually clear -- to you or to them -- who they need to prove it to, but I really don’t think it matters. They all just seem to have this relentless need to achieve, to make things happen, to do great things. It drives them and motivates them.
7. They work their tails off. Their work is, to a great extent, their life. That’s sort of an obvious result when you consider how passionate they are about what they do and how driven they are to accomplish great things. And you won’t always see them working, either. Day or night, at work or at home, they usually have a hard time turning it off.
One more thing. If you end up working with some of these folks, the worst thing you can do is be in awe of them. They don’t generally like yes-men and are quite impatient with folks who don’t add value. They have you around for a reason. Do what you do best and be straight with them. That’s generally the way to go.
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