Top Entrepreneur Characteristics That Will Make You Successful

I’m a big fan of reverse engineering success. Every problem I’ve ever had in my life has been solved through a simple, step-by-step approach:

1. Find someone that succeeds where you fail
2. Identify why they win
3. Incorporate those traits into your own life

I’ve used the above approach to massively improve my life in fitness, relationships, family, and most recently, entrepreneurship.

When I began taking the above three steps in the context of my business, I noticed several recurring themes. All successful entrepreneurs — whether big or small, young or old, millionaire or billionaire — possessed certain persistent characteristics that drove them towards their goals.

Over the last few months, I’ve categorized these characteristics into six distinct themes. And after applying them to my life (and seeing near-instant breakthroughs in business) I’ve decided to share them with you.

What you’re about to read is the roadmap for success. Internalize these characteristics, and you too will begin to see significant changes to your wealth, prosperity, and happiness.

Risk

Successful people take risks. Whether it’s in the stock market, in their relationships, or in their businesses, success rarely comes to those who are unwilling to put their livelihood or financial security on the line. Most people see risks as chances for failure. Entrepreneurs, however, see every risk as an opportunity for massive growth.

True success in entrepreneurship is not necessarily because of giftedness, inherent talent, or intelligence. Many times, it is simply a byproduct of having taken more chances — of having placed more tickets in the proverbial ballet box, so to speak.

Opportunity

Problems aren’t problems to successful entrepreneurs — they’re opportunities. Most average people are uncomfortable at the prospect of an upcoming task or difficulty. Entrepreneurs, however, see each piece of work as a new chance for growth. Every time they solve a new problem, deliver a new solution, or build a new product, they’re creating success.

Persistence

Dreams aren’t turned into reality overnight. You need persistence: the quality of firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. Yes, life will oppose you. It will be difficult. But if you continue steadfastly despite setbacks, you will eventually achieve your goal. And that is exactly how successful entrepreneurs think.

Results

Despite how politically correct it may sound, most successful entrepreneurs do not believe in the value of the journey. They do not believe in giving out gold stars for effort, or meaningless platitudes for a job half-finished (as is growing more common in our society).

Entrepreneurs believe in results. Positive outcomes. Cash. If an entrepreneur spends ten years of their life building a company that never gets off the ground, it’s not a “positive experience”. It’s flat-out failure. They don’t sugarcoat reality — they learn from it quickly and move on.

Discomfort

Most people use discomfort as an indicator of where not to go. Successful entrepreneurs, on the other hand, use discomfort as a magnet to attract success. The more uncomfortable they feel about doing something, the more they know they need to do it.

The best things I have ever achieved in life have not been those that were easy. I’ve never made money from stepping into the financial equivalent of nice warm showers — but I have made money from diving into freezing, uncomfortable water that opposed me at every step.

Put yourself in difficult, exciting, and novel situations often and you will achieve success an order of magnitude more often than people that don’t.

Challenges

It is said that human beings have two instinctive responses to difficult situations: fight, or flight. The vast majority of the world will opt for the latter. They’ll see a problem, turn tail, and run for the hills.

Successful entrepreneurs, on the other hand, pick fight nearly every time. They love being assigned difficult tasks, or taking on new and exciting problems. Successful entrepreneurs thrive under pressure. Because pressure brings new challenges. New challenges bring new growth. And new growth gets them one inch closer to achieving their goals.

Many articles on success will imply or outright state that achieving it is incredibly complicated.

I disagree.

Success, to me, has always been very simple: look at who you want to be, incorporate those traits into your own life, and use them as fuel to achieve your goals. If you internalize even half of the characteristics mentioned above, I have no doubt in my mind that you will be successful too.