Grace Murray Hopper, an American computer scientist and United States Navy rear admiral said, “A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for”. The first step to becoming an entrepreneur is to leave the safety shores and plunge into the ocean. There are several traits that an entrepreneur needs to possess to be successful on a long-term but here are the 5 most essential traits I believe an entrepreneur needs to fight the high tides.
Ultimately, these quotes and the rest of the blog sum up the most essential entrepreneurship traits that you need to get the grind started.
If you want to set yourself to be a long-term entrepreneur, you should define the purpose of your entrepreneurship.
Purpose gives you direction, making it a quintessential entrepreneur trait to have.
Purpose gives you the inner strength to fight those high tides and uncertainties you will face in the long journey.
The greatest entrepreneurs who have graced this World will agree that, “Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it”. Nothing less!
John F. Kennedy said, “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction”.
Know where you are going!
Entrepreneurship is no fairy tale. You will be rejected leaving you dejected. You will be scrutinized forcing you to introspect. You will find no backers forcing you to ask, “should I quit?”. These are not rare moments but a constant phenomenon of an entrepreneur’s career.
You will face more adverse moments than successful ones. Success is not a miracle nor a formula. It is a result of years of hard work and pain. Winston Churchill sums up it up, “If You’re Going Through Hell, Keep Going”.
If you wish to overcome the naysayers and obstacles, you need to showcase some serious Grit. Cultivating grit is a meditative process and a worthwhile entrepreneur trait.
“Grit is the ability to hang on when circumstances say let go.” It’s that inner voice that can come to the fore and say, “Never ever give up!”
Here is a classic one from Robin Sharma, “Every genius was first ridiculed before they were revered”.
Hang On. Go On. Conquer!
Steve Jobs said it so nicely, “If You Really Look Closely, Most Overnight Successes Took A Long Time”.
The most essential entrepreneur trait is patience.
If you know where you are going, you will eventually make it. You should have the self-belief and endurance to keep chipping away day in and day out. You should have the special ability to see things that others around you don’t see and persevere with what you are doing.
The fact of being patient doesn’t mean to sit and wait. There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you, and there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
Benjamin Franklin said, “He that can have patience can have what he will.”
Be patient. persevere!
Robin Sharma put it so nicely, “People love to do business with people who love to do business”.
Business is all about relationships, and nurturing this entrepreneurship trait will help you work with anyone you please or cross paths with.
People work with people and not companies. An entrepreneur who doesn’t decode this principle won’t succeed in the long run. Frederick Buechner said, “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel”.
If you keep taking care of your relationship, it will take care of your business. How often we evaluate the value of a deal based on the deal itself?. Do we look beyond the deal and measure the impact of the relationship?.
Relationship doesn’t have a short-term ROI but will pay off as a long-term investment strategy, making it an alluring entrepreneur trait.
A relationship blossoms only by trust and trust only. Trust is established when your honesty is showcased. William Shakespeare said, “No legacy is so rich as honesty”.
Be Honest. Invest in Relationships!
Entrepreneurship is not a destiny but a long journey, even a journey of lifetime for some.
The only entrepreneurship trait that can keep you in the race is how fast you learn.
It’s not just the learning of your trade but learning from your life experiences. Life teaches you more lessons than any literature in this world. Ask yourself whether you learn those lessons carefully. Shape yourself to incorporate those lessons into your journey and be resilient to situations.
The greatest entrepreneurs have been the fastest learners. When you know more, you can do more. When you are knowledgeable, you have no fear.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever”. The more you learn, the more wiser you get in fulfilling your purpose.
Learn forever!
I thoroughly enjoyed compiling this post as it helped me go down the memory lane and bring out the best lessons from my entrepreneurship journey. Hope this post is of service to you. I would love to hear your views.
What according to you are the most essential traits for a long-term entrepreneur?.
If you are looking for more inspiration, you may want to check out
6 Inspiring Quotes for Every Entrepreneur to kick-start the day
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