Often when people look at a successful person, what they see as contributing to that success is a number of skills and talents specific to a profession or job. However, it is also possible to examine successful peopleÆs careers and see at the core of their success a set of similar skills that transcend whatever specific profession they are in. This may be especially true for the entrepreneur; indeed, a definable set of entrepreneurial skills seems to exist apart from whatever particular talents people bring to entrepreneurial enterprises. This paper examines those key ingredients for being a successful entrepreneur.
Maul and Mayfield (1990) list ten traits that are key to entrepreneurship û although they are clear in their assessment that not every entrepreneur is equally good at all of them; in fact some entrepreneurs may not possess some of these traits at all. (Or rather, that they may not possess some of these traits when they begin an entrepreneurial path and so have to learn them as they go.)
These half-score of traits are: the belief both in the idea one is pursuing and in oneself; the ability to keep sight of the big picture at all times and the related skill of being able to keep things as simple as possible; the creativity to think beyond traditional barriers and to find creative ways to fill a marketable niche; the flexibility to modify plans after every major change, to expect the unexpected and to be able to form contingency plans; the optimism to see the good in every situation and try again if one approach fails; realism concerning goals and timetables; the ability to communicate oneÆs goals clearly; the ability to accept the risk involved in an undertaking while at the same time minimizing it; and persistence of mind and character and an action-orientation (Maul and Mayfield, 1990, pp. 11-31).
Of course, there is not just one definition of what constitutes an entrepreneur, although any sound definition inclu...