Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made?
Add comment July 12th, 2007
This is an ongoing debate. Do you subscribe to the theory that certain people are born with the personality traits that make a good entrepreneur? Or do you favour the idea that Entrepreneur emerge out of a combination of entrepreneurial opportunities and people who are well positioned to take advantage of them?
I did a check on google and the word entrepreneur had 53,600,000 hits. Is this more or less than you might have expected?
As a people and organisation person I am more interested in entrepreneurial behaviour and how these can be developed and harnessed for the good of the individual and the organisation. There is much literature on this topic and many lists and descriptions of entrepreneurial behaviour. I believe the following list covers the key elements:
* High need for achievement
* A belief in the ability to control the environment through your own actions (internal locus of control)
* Risk Taking a comfort with, and enjoyment of risk
* Innovativeness and problem solving capabilities
* Acceptance of responsibility
* Organization personally well organised and able to bring together components of a venture (including people)
* Hard Work and Energy
* Optimism the belief that anything is possible
* Orientation to Excellence
* Profit orientation (serving as a meter to gauge success and achievement)
* Reward orientation (recognition and respect as much as money)
* Charismatic, compelling, driven
When you look at a list like this it is possible to identify those elements that appear to be more learnable than others. Also, those which can be easily nurtured or destroyed. Good leaders can create environments where entrepreneurial behaviours flourish in even the largest of organisations. Individuals so minded can develop themselves and achieve capability in these areas.
