Every profession requires the professional to have a set of skills, some more extensive than others. Entrepreneurship is no different. Here is a list of values, skills, and qualities that one may find in an entrepreneur. If not, they’d find it to their benefit to incorporate them.
#1 Innovation
The first thing a startup need is an idea. But you can’t let that idea remain stagnant for too long, or it will start to stink. You need to revive it ever so often so that it remains fresh and updated. Innovative thinking also comes handy when you need new ideas to support the original one or to set up a whole new system.
#2 Vision
Like your idea, the development of your company can’t stay in stasis either. As an entrepreneur, you should have a clear vision of where you want your enterprise to be, till when (a practical estimate) can you be there, and how to get there. Then only can you focus on the practices and choices that help achieve the goals you’ve set, and cross out that don’t.
#3 Ambition
It’s said being over ambitious is a bad thing. Maybe it is. But if you’re under ambitious, it’s worse. Command that middle ground of being the good type of ambitious because that’s the only way you can grow. Let your ambition lead you.
#4 Problem Solving
Whether you’re just a month-old startup or a well-evolved, years-old venture, something that never gets old is that there is always a problem at hand. The only way to success is through that problem, so you’d do better to polish on your problem-solving skills.
#5 Leadership
When facing a problem (especially a big one), what you need sometimes even more than a quick solution, is a leader. Because it won’t matter much when the problem is solved if your co-workers start to lose their calm, get all flustered and can’t focus on their work. As a leader, you need to direct their energy and attention into a productive capacity.
#6 Team-spirit
Though it’s good to take charge of things and show your leadership skills in times of need, but you can never let yourself forget that you are a part of a team. All members should have the power to decide, proportional to their position in the company.
#7 Decision making
Throughout your career as an entrepreneur, you will have to decide a lot of whens and hows. It would definitely hamper the success of your venture if you can’t make up your mind. You need to be perfectly sure of what you want at all times. But you don’t need to make them all on your own –see the point above.
#8 Transparency
Being clear in your words and actions solve half of the issues even before they arise. Be honest and straightforward with your clients, co-workers, and employees, and they’ll thank you for that.
#9 Empathy
You cannot provide a suitable enough solution for a problem that you do not understand. And to understand the problems and issues that someone else goes through, you’ll have to empathize with them. Empathy towards your customers is a great quality to ingrain in yourself if you ever want to win over their trust and loyalty.
#10 Listening
Many might not consider it of much importance, but it’s only by listening to your customers can you know what they want, because you can go only so far by empathizing. Also, some knowledgeable client might have something worthy to contribute, if only you listen.
#11 Adaptability
Adapting to the new and changed circumstances is the way anything survives in this world. If you refuse to tweak your ideas even a little, then you’ll become part of the dying species. Understand the changing demands and have the courage to provide changed supply.
#12 Accountability
Everybody likes taking credit when they produce anything remotely successful and shy away when the case is not so. But a true entrepreneur takes responsibility for their actions at all times. You’re only human, you’re entitled to your share of mistakes. Just own up and you can take credit when you correct it.
#13 Fearlessness
It’s maybe the most important quality an entrepreneur should have. It’s not the fear of heights or lizards, but that of failing or trying something new or asking for help. You cannot give in to these fears, as there might lie, on its other side, the break you’ve been praying for or the solution to your problem or the ultimate success.
#14 Self-motivation
However hard you try to avoid it, failure sometimes becomes inevitable. What you can do at such times is stay motivated that things will come around. And as it’s said, ‘self-motivation is the best motivation.
#15 Optimism
There will always be problems to solve and hurdles to overcome, but till the time you haven’t given in to pessimism, there will always be a chance, that you’ll make it back up. Don’t say ‘no’ and nothing will be able to stop the ‘yes’ from happening eventually.