MODERN ENTREPRENEUR
to dream of a better place with
their still to be developed product
or service is the essence of what
entrepreneurial vision is about. The
better place is not too distant in
the future. The service or product
may not be in production but when
it arrives it will really amaze all
concerned.
was an obvious way out. In Yin mode
our bulldog is akin to a trembling
Chihuahua.
Flexibility
This can be a very challenging
trait with entrepreneurs. Often
seen as Yin, no sooner does the
entrepreneur inspire the team with
a rousing speech, displaying true
leadership and determination to
follow a committed path, then the
very next day a change of heart sees
an all bets off situation overturning
yesterday’s commitments. The Yang
is that flexibility, be it a little erratic,
can be the right response to a major
threat to survival of the venture.
Passion
Entrepreneurs are nothing if not
passionate. Perceived as a Yang
trait, passion when expressed by an
entrepreneur, can be inspirational
and motivate a team to the next
stage on nothing more than sharing
the dream. This passion can of
course morph into self- delusional
Yin, leaving those being lead to lose
faith in the entrepreneur’s lack of
reality.
Self-Confidence
Generally regarded as a bright side
Yang characteristic, self-confidence
is mandatory for a successful
entrepreneur. If entrepreneurs
were to rely on others telling them
that they have a good idea few if
any great innovations would have
seen the light of day. The Yin of
this characteristic is the risk that
the required self- confidence can
produce a shameless self-promoter
who overwhelms the support team
resulting in outbursts of their darkest
thoughts.
Risk Taking
The word entrepreneur is
synonymous with risk taking.
Depending on your attitude it can
be Yin or Yang. The optimist always
sees risk as Yang, and lives in
positive expectation that Yang will
win out. The pessimist knows all risk
is Yin, and looks to see failure before
others can see any outcome.
Vision
Entrepreneurs are big on vision.
This is definitely a gleaming Yang,
bright side trait. Their inherent ability
Opportunistic
Entrepreneurs can bloom at anytime
in their lives. This is definitely a
Yang of being an entrepreneur. It is
never the wrong time to take that
opportunity that has suddenly been
presented. The Yin of this trait is
that those around a late blooming
entrepreneur may be blindsided by a
seemingly sudden charge of career
direction at an unexpected time.
Personality traits of successful
entrepreneurs are akin to other
facets of life in that they have a yin
and yang. Successful entrepreneurs
are the Yang and those still waiting
for success linger in the yin of the
same person. The difference is often
just in the timing.
Alan Manly is an entrepreneur with
extensive experience owning and
managing SMEs. He is also the author
of When There Are Too Many Lawyers …
There Is No Justice ($24.95), visit www.
alanmanly.com.au
November 2016
ModernBusiness
7