Top Three Unexpected Traits of The Best Entrepreneurs

Here, then, are the top three unexpected traits of the world’s best entrepreneurs:

1. They are idealistic

More than a few people think that entrepreneurs are essentially like Gordon Gekko, who famously opined “greed is good” in the movie “Wall Street.” While making money is necessarily a basic motivation in any business endeavor, among great global entrepreneurs I’ve noticed a characteristic quite different than greediness: They tend to be visionary idealists. Indeed, the very tagline of the World Entrepreneurship Forum indicates as much: “The worldwide think tank devoted to the entrepreneur, creator of wealth and social justice.”

Social justice? You bet:

- When a company hires poor farmers in India to grow an otherwise useless weed (the jatropha plant) on otherwise unusable land, then turns it into gasoline at half the prevailing cost per barrel, you have a business that’s making money and making a difference.

Yes, these sorts of companies make a lot of money, but they make money because they have a vision.

2. They are great teammates

Especially in the West, particularly in the United States, people tend to view an entrepreneur as a strong individual with a dream and a plan. Steve Jobs, for instance. In actuality, the best entrepreneurs are team players, not one-man (or -woman) shows. They understand that they cannot do it alone and need to build a superior team if they are to create a superior business.

Take Steve Jobs.

Sure, he was a genius, but part of that genius was the ability to surround himself with a team of people who shared his vision and passion and were fiercely loyal to him. Apple is Apple because Jobs was smart enough to know that yes, a great team requires a leader — but also great teammates.

3. They are characters with character

There are all sorts of traits required to be a successful entrepreneur: the willingness to take a smart calculated risk, being able to live with uncertainty, etc. That said, my experience at the WEF has led me to add two more traits to the standard list:

- The best entrepreneurs are not afraid to be themselves. They are “characters,” whether that means they are funny or loud or shy or whatever. They are who they are and are not afraid to be who they are.

- They have character. Values are important to them. Integrity counts.
So, while the world often looks chaotic and even depressing these days, the folks at the WEF remind me that no matter their nationality, character usually wins out in the end.

~ Steve Strauss is a lawyer, author and speaker who specializes in small business and entrepreneurship. He also writes a weekly column for USA Today.