How to Develop Entrepreneur Personality
What is Entrepreneur Personality?
Entrepreneur personality is a term that describes the characteristics and traits of people who are driven to start, run, and grow their own businesses. Entrepreneurs are often energetic, action-oriented, and creative, with a keen sense of opportunity and a willingness to take risks. They also tend to be self-motivated, confident, and resilient, as they face various challenges and uncertainties in their ventures.
Entrepreneur personality is not a fixed or innate quality, but rather a dynamic and evolving one that can be influenced by various factors, such as education, experience, environment, and feedback. Entrepreneur personality can also vary depending on the type of business, the stage of development, and the personal goals of the entrepreneur.
Why is Entrepreneur Personality Important?
Entrepreneur personality is important because it can affect the success and satisfaction of entrepreneurs in their endeavors. According to 16Personalities, a website that offers free personality tests based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Big Five model, there are 16 different personality types that can be classified into four categories: Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels, and Explorers. Each personality type has its own strengths and weaknesses, preferences and motivations, and ways of interacting with others.
Among these 16 personality types, one that is often associated with entrepreneurship is the Entrepreneur (ESTP) type, which belongs to the Explorer category. Entrepreneurs are described as “smart, energetic and very perceptive people, who truly enjoy living on the edge.” They are “excellent in finding exciting new things to explore and experience” and “love to challenge themselves by testing their wits against reality.”
However, this does not mean that only Entrepreneurs can be successful entrepreneurs. In fact, any personality type can be an entrepreneur, as long as they have the passion, vision, and skills to pursue their ideas. The key is to understand one’s own personality type and how it influences one’s behavior, decision-making, communication, and leadership style. By doing so, entrepreneurs can leverage their strengths, overcome their weaknesses, and adapt to different situations and contexts.
Having an entrepreneur personality can be a great asset for anyone who wants to start their own business or pursue their passion. Entrepreneurs are disciplined, creative, self-aware, resourceful, process-oriented, empathetic, communicative, self-motivated, confident, flexible, risk-takers, and resilient. These traits help them overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and create value for themselves and others.
If you want to learn more about the entrepreneur personality, you can take our free online test to discover your personality type and how it relates to entrepreneurship.
How to Develop Entrepreneur Personality?
Developing entrepreneur personality is not a one-time event, but rather a continuous process of learning and growth. There are many ways to develop entrepreneur personality, such as:
- Taking a personality test to discover one’s own personality type and preferences.
- Reading books, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos about entrepreneurship and successful entrepreneurs.
- Attending workshops, courses, seminars, webinars, or events related to entrepreneurship and business skills.
- Joining networks, communities, clubs, or organizations that support entrepreneurship and innovation.
- Finding mentors, coaches, peers, or partners who can provide guidance, feedback, advice, or collaboration.
- Seeking opportunities to practice entrepreneurship skills in real-life situations or projects.
- Experimenting with different ideas or business models and learning from failures or successes.
- Reflecting on one’s own experiences and actions and identifying areas for improvement or change.
One of the tools that can help entrepreneurs develop their personality is a personality test. A personality test is a scientific assessment that measures various aspects of one’s personality traits or types. A personality test can help entrepreneurs:
- Gain insight into their own strengths and weaknesses as entrepreneurs.
- Understand how they relate to others and how others perceive them.
- Identify their preferred working style and environment.
- Determine their compatibility with potential partners or team members.
- Enhance their communication and leadership skills.
- Increase their self-awareness and self-confidence.
One Example of Entrepreneur Personality: Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was one of the most influential and successful entrepreneurs of all time. He co-founded Apple, Pixar, and NeXT, and revolutionized the fields of personal computing, animation, and mobile devices. He was known for his visionary, creative, and charismatic personality, as well as his high standards and relentless drive.
Jobs had many traits that are typical of an entrepreneur personality. He was passionate about his products and his vision, and he was able to inspire others to follow him. He was also resourceful, innovative, and willing to take risks. He constantly challenged himself and his team to create products that were not only functional, but also beautiful and intuitive. He was not afraid to experiment, fail, learn, and improve.
However, Jobs also had some traits that were less desirable or even detrimental to his success. He was often arrogant, stubborn, and demanding. He could be rude, impatient, and insensitive to others. He sometimes ignored feedback or criticism, and he clashed with many people, including his co-founders, board members, investors, and employees. He also struggled with his health and personal life, and he faced many setbacks and failures in his career.
Despite his flaws, Jobs was able to achieve remarkable things in his lifetime. He left a lasting legacy in the world of technology and innovation. He also inspired millions of people with his famous speeches, such as his 2005 Stanford commencement address. He exemplified the entrepreneur personality in both its strengths and weaknesses.
Source: Six Personality Traits Of Successful Entrepreneurs – Forbes
Fun Fact
Did you know that some of the most famous entrepreneurs in history had an Entrepreneur (ESTP) personality type? According to the 16Personalities website, some examples of ESTP entrepreneurs are Donald Trump, Madonna, Eddie Murphy, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Willis, and Ernest Hemingway.
See how this fascinating topic applies to your own psychology by taking one of our fun and free tests.