An investor. [Photo/pinterest]
Entrepreneurs are a quirky bunch! Think about the most successful entrepreneurs known. They share something quite strange in common: a number of seemingly contradictory qualities and it is apparent that these entrepreneurs have been successful because of opposing qualities, not in spite of them. There are a number of different sets of opposing qualities recognized in entrepreneurs admired according to Forbes, Business Insider and leading business website Investopedia.
Brave yet vulnerable
Running a company is not for the faint of heart. Every day, there is a challenge of new opportunities, new problems, and new unknowns. In spite of them, decisions have to be made with confidence, whether an entrepreneur feels entirely confident about them or not.
Easily distracted yet incredibly focused
In many ways, being an entrepreneur means living in a state of constant overstimulation. Between all of the emails, slacks, texts, conversations, and activity happening in the office, it is hard not to participate.
Humble yet arrogant
To be an entrepreneur, one has to be arrogant on some level. How else would you classify the belief that your ideas and vision are better than anyone else’s? At the same time, inspiring leaders are also extremely humble and give credit where it is due. They admit their own flaws and as much glory as they have achieved, they are still honest about how far they have to go.
Collaborative yet single-minded
Leaders who are too collaborative tend to be frustratingly ineffectual and paralyzed by indecision. Leaders who are too single-minded alienate their employees with dictatorial decisions. The most effective entrepreneurs are those who know when to pull in their team members for a second opinion, and when to make an executive decision.
Respectful of rules yet willing to break them (for the right reasons)
Running a company means obeying lots and lots of rules. It also means knowing when to break them to unlock creativity or remove constraints that limit team’s ability to achieve goals. As Mark Zuckerberg is used to saying, to succeed you have to move fast and break things including the rules.
Outspoken yet a good listener
They are not afraid to share their opinions or to speak their minds with employees, investors, or the press. It is this outward-facing charisma that helps an enterprise secure funding, great employees, the right media coverage, and big deals. Exceptional leaders are not just skillful speakers, though, they are also attentive listeners.
Gentle yet ferocious
Most entrepreneurs, who have had the most successful careers, are kind, empathetic, and even gentle. They care about people and consider the emotions and needs of others in their day-to-day interactions. On the other hand, they are absolutely ferocious when the occasion calls for it. They fight tooth and nail for their vision, for their people, and for the good of their organization.
Opportunists yet hyper-focused
Entrepreneurs are hard-wired to see opportunity where others don’t and don’t necessarily need to invent a new product but simply need to know how to create demand for something that already exists. Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson is probably the most recognized example for constantly identifying and tapping into new markets to the point of multi-industry domination.