Friday, 11 October 2013

GENETICS OF AN ENTREPRENEUR...

12 Surprising Signs You Could Be an Entrepreneur

BY GRANT CARDONE | October 29, 2012|

12 Surprising Signs You Could Be an Entrepreneur

Almost every article ever written about entrepreneurship suggests that it's not for everyone. And yet the articles go on to list attributes that many successful people possess as the traits commonly associated with great entrepreneurs, such as a strong work ethic, persistence, persuasiveness and discipline.

For 25 years, I have studied entrepreneurs and discovered that what contributed to their incredible success was not what society typically considers assets. People like John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford and Oprah Winfrey didn't achieve greatness by possessing the traits and following the narrow path recommended by management gurus.

So, don't believe everything others say about you or how they label you. Maybe your supposed liabilities are really your assets. Here are 12 signs many people might consider a liability, but which can actually be indications that you are meant to be an entrepreneur.

1. Hate the Status Quo – It doesn't make sense to you that something has been done the time-honored way with no explanation why. You are not someone who wants to just go through the motions or sit by idly. Nor do you like following the pack.

2. Easily Bored - You find yourself easily bored, and others start viewing you as a problem. But nothing is wrong with you except that you are bored with activities that aren't up to your abilities and aren't challenging. That's why you hated most of the classes you ever attended. Think Bill Gates who dropped out of college to become one of the richest men in the world.

Related: 6 Tips for Staying Supercharged

3. Fired from Jobs – You're too creative for your own good when it comes to working for others, and you may have some history, as I do, of losing jobs. Being just a cog in wheel is very difficult for you because you want to create something others can be inspired by and contribute to.

4. Labeled a Rebel - You know that greatness resides outside the lines of conformity and don't think that policies, laws and regulations apply to you. You have been described as a rebel and rule breaker and would defy gravity if you could.

5. Resist Authority - You have a lifelong record of resisting authority from your parents, teachers and bosses. You don't go along with the agreed upon norms of the group or community you work and live in.

6. Ready to Improve Everything - You always see how you could do things better. In addition, you are opinionated and freely give your two-cents about your better way of doing things--even when you're not asked.

Related: How to Stop Over Thinking and Get Things Done

7. Bad at Making Small Talk - You have difficulty making the kind of small talk that so many people get comfort from. This social pattern of relationship and rapport building seems like a waste of time to you and makes you uncomfortable.

8. Bullied in Your Youth - You may have been heavily criticized, picked on and even bullied as a child or teenager. This has caused you to be driven to excel and to prove to the world that you are indeed a force to be reckoned with.

9. Obsessive - You may have been labeled obsessive/compulsive because when you get started on something you have difficulty letting go. Don't let anyone convince you that this is a disease or deficiency. All of the great entrepreneurs become completely immersed in their vision. Howard Schultz stuck with Starbucks even when his family tried to persuade him not to.

Related: How to Harness Your Brain's Secret Efficiency

10. Scared to Go Solo - The entrepreneur in you is scared of going out on your own—and also terrified of not doing so. This fear is so common in our society because we've been conditioned to think that entrepreneurship is much riskier than getting a "good job." The reality is there is instability in both.

11. Unable to Unwind - You can't go to sleep at night because you can't turn your thoughts off. An idea may even manifest itself in your dreams. The next morning you find yourself still consumed with that idea, distracting you from the job you're supposed to be doing.

12. Don't Fit the Norm - You have always been a bit uncomfortable in your own skin. Until you get used to the idea that you are in fact different from most people, it could prove to be a problem--or exactly the motivation you need to acknowledge the entrepreneur screaming to get out.

The author is an Entrepreneur contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

Grant Cardone

Grant Cardone is an international sales expert, New York Times best-selling author, and radio show host of The Cardone Zone. He has founded three companies: Cardone Enterprises, Cardone Real Estate Holdings, and the Cardone Group. He has shared his sales and business expertise as a motivational speaker and author of five books: Sell to Survive; The Closers Survival Guide; If You're Not First, You're Last; The 10X Rule; and Sell or Be Sold.

Wednesday, 9 October 2013

4 Books Every Entrepreneur Must Read

BY LEWIS HOWES | September 9, 2013|

25 Comments |

The greatest lessons you'll ever learn will most likely be from your own experience. But entrepreneurs can also learn a lot from the advice and experiences of others, as long as we allow ourselves to be teachable.

Perhaps you were in grade school the last time you heard this but it's as true today as it was back then: one of the best ways to gain information, inspiration and education is by reading books. As an entrepreneur, I've read a number that I've found invaluable to my professional success.

Consider the following four books your mentors and teachers as they reveal skills and lessons that can possibly shave years off your learning curve, and thousands of dollars from avoidable mistakes:

1. First Things First

by Stephen R. Covey (Free Press, reprinted edition January 1996)

As entrepreneurs, we already know our most valuable asset is time, but not every entrepreneur knows how to properly use that time.
At first glance, First Things First may seem like just another productivity book but, as you'll learn, true productivity is not about getting more things done in less time but rather doing things that matter with the time you have.

While many people will recognize Covey for his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, this writing focuses on what I consider to be the most important habit: putting "first things first." Anyone who implements even a fraction of what is outlined in this book should begin to see a dramatic shift in his or her life.

2. Built To Sell

by John Warrillow (Portfolio Trade, reprint edition December 2012)

You may have heard the advice "Have an exit strategy" when starting a business. But not many entrepreneurs have considered what it takes to actually sell a business. In Built To Sell, John Warrillow presents a compelling case for entrepreneurs to approach their business from the perspective of selling it one day.

While this may seem counterintuitive for the passionate entrepreneur who loves his or her work and wouldn't want to stop doing it, the real genius of this approach is that it can help readers create more value in their business. Namely, developing a business that is built on systems rather than a legacy business for which the founder has his or her hand in every day-to-day affair. That's just not scalable.

Not only is this book a must-read, but it's also written like a story, which means you should have no problem following along -- unlike other business books which can read more like text books.

3. Choose Yourself!

by James Altucher (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, June 2013)

Author James Altucher will most likely have you shaking your head in disbelief when you hear his story. I loved it so much that I had to get him on my podcast, The School of Greatness.

I believe there are two pivotal moments for every entrepreneur. The first is when they choose to become an entrepreneur, and the second is when they take 100 percent responsibility for their success or failure. Choose Yourself! is about that second part -- taking responsibility.

It's not enough to simply want success or to believe in the possibility of success. Instead, every entrepreneur must face the reality that nobody else is responsible for you. Altucher speaks from experience as someone whose story takes so many twists and turns that you may find yourself loving him and becoming frustrated with him at the same time. But ultimately you'll probably arrive at the same conclusion he did -- that we must choose ourselves if we wish to succeed. This book can be is a wake-up call for entrepreneurs who have not taken the reigns of their life and business.

4. Mastery

by Robert Greene (Viking Adult, November 2012)

You may recognize Robert Greene from his other books:

The Art of Seduction
The 33 Strategies of War
The 48 Laws of Power
The 50th Law

Greene is no stranger to influencing lives, and exactly why I interviewed him on my podcast. What I enjoyed the most about Greene's book Mastery are the following principals:

The value of apprenticeship: Too many entrepreneurs want to "fake it till they make it" instead of taking the time to develop the necessary skills it takes to succeed with their craft. It also acknowledges the fact that mastery is a process, which should alleviate entrepreneurs from the idea that greatness is either achieved quickly, or not at all.

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