If you have seen me speak you will know that I believe the word entrepreneur is used way too much these days. People seem to wear it as a badge instead of just getting out there and doing entrepreneurial things. Just because you run or own a successful business doesnt necessarily mean that you an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs have a different mindset to others. They will go way above and beyond to complete and finish something that they have started. I have developed what I call the 5 senses of an entrepreneur which will highlight those differences. We all have 5 which are sight, taste, smell, hearing and touch. The entrepreneur also has those 5 senses but to them they mean something totally different. The 5 senses relay messages to your brain which makes you operate in a certain way. This is the same for the entrepreneurial sense. The entrepreneurial senses direct an entrepreneur to operate and succeed in a certain way. Below is how an entrepreneur uses the 5 senses. SIGHT. Entrepreneurs can see things normal business owners cant. By that I mean that they can see potential in the smallest of things, whether it is a new trend or a different way of doing something and in turn gaining bigger and better results from the others around them. They also have the foresight to see past the hurdles or obstacles that most business owners would see as a full stop and press on regardless of the issues that they may face. They arent really good on the stuff that is right in front of their faces, the day to day stuff as they are already thinking far in advance. You could say that some entrepreneurs have blinkers on. Once they are focused on something, they will see it through to the end. Whatever comes their way will be quickly dealt with so as they dont lose momentum or become distracted. TASTE. Entrepreneurs can taste success in everything that they do. It doesnt really concern them with the current taste of a deal or a venture as they know what the ultimate taste of success in that deal when it is finished and completed will actually taste like. Even when they have a taste of something bitter; whether that is a deal gone wrong or a wrong decision, they will still press on until the sweet taste of success is filling their mouths. Just as kids when we are all made to eat those disgusting vegetables (the cauliflower and brussel sprouts) and then as we grow up we are able to make our own choice as to what is on our plates, so does the entrepreneur. They have been through the hard yards just as everyone else. They just want to have the choice as to what taste stays in their mouths for the longest period of time. Until they taste it, they will not give up. SMELL. An entrepreneur can smell success from a mile away. In fact, they can smell it before they even experience it. It is that sweet smell that keeps them driving towards touching and living it. Just as they can smell the sweetness of success, so can they smell a bad deal. Now I am not saying that everything an entrepreneur puts his or her hands to will always work, but as they go through their lives they will know quickly if something smells a bit off. It is this sense that is the most important one to an entrepreneur. Without the whiff of something potentially huge and exciting, an entrepreneur will usually let it go. They also have the ability to smell manure a mile off. HEARING. With the ear, it receives a whole lot of different vibrations and sound waves which in turn it processes it into something that makes sense to our brains. This in principal is what happens to an entrepreneur. All of us hear different feedback, various business opportunities and potential deals throughout our lives. What makes an entrepreneur different from the rest is that he or she will decipher that information (usually very quickly) and either act upon it or dismiss it straight away just by the sound of the information that he or she has heard. Where as most people will go down the path of that information and potentially lose out when it isnt what was first perceived. The entrepreneur will also have a knack of blocking out the negative information or comments that come into their ears. They will not be the type of person who will allow that negative information to pass into their thinking an in turn, into their actions. Entrepreneurs have selective hearing. They know what they want to hear and they know what success sounds like. TOUCH. An entrepreneur will not give up until they have a firm grip on what they have been pursuing. For some it may take them a short time and for others a very long time. but until they have that success by the throat, they will not let it go. You see it is this sense that is the reward stage for an entrepreneur. It is the thrill of the hunt with the catch mounted high on their walls of life. This is not to say that everything they set their hands to will work. It is that they know the feel that they are looking for. They know how hard they need to press or how gentle they may need to be. It is the same principal with holding a baby as opposed to a hammer. One is gentle the other is forceful. The true entrepreneur will have an understanding of the touch that is needed. So as you see, there are many facets that set an entrepreneur apart from a normal business owner. Why not take the entrepreneur test on not only yourself but also your staff and you will see where you stand and where your strengths really are. This is a great tool for any business owner. Go to www.justinherald.com |
