I recently had a conversation with my Grandfather about what qualities make a true entrepreneur. He has owned several businesses over the course of his life and is a never ending dispenser of advice.
As he was answering my question of “What makes an entrepreneur?”, I realized that all of these answers correlated with more than just entrepreneurs. This motivated me to create this article and share these wise words with the world.
- You must believe in yourself
My Grandpa started with nothing more than his self-confidence and that has brought him a lifetime of success. No matter your path, you must believe in yourself and understand that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. Life will get tough and things won’t always go your way, but you can always believe in yourself. Imagine the self-confidence as the fuel that gets you through the distasteful times.
2. Admit when you’ve made a mistake
Mistakes happen and are often crucial to our personal growth. My Grandpa has always taken responsibility for his blunders, although they don’t happen much. As individuals, we must own up to the mistakes we make and allow them to help us grow in the future. Blaming others for our mistakes only compounds the situation and taking responsibility can increase respect.
3. You must be willing to take risks
Although this is a lesson geared for entrepreneurs, it can apply to others as well. Risks are easy to avoid and push to the side, but the truth is, they can revolutionize lives. My Grandpa mentioned that everyone would be an entrepreneur if taking risks weren’t scary. Sometimes, evaluating what the worst outcome can be can give you the confidence to take that life-changing risk.
Originally published at medium.com