'Born' or 'made,' entrepreneurs share key traits

Are entrepreneurs born, or can they be made?

For nearly 10 years I have been affiliated with the BYU Center for Entrepreneurship, and I have heard a number of theories expressed on the matter of entrepreneurial evolution.

Some say that entrepreneurialism is an intangible "something" with which you are born — something you either have or you don't. Many experienced and successful entrepreneurs indicate that they have ALWAYS been entrepreneurial — even when they were children.

"Being an entrepreneur isn't something I DO," one veteran business owner told me. "It's part of who I AM."

Others claim that anyone can be an entrepreneur given the right set of circumstances and opportunities. "I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur," said a friend who has recently started his own business. "It wasn't something I felt driven to do. I was happy working for a big corporation until this opportunity came along. And now ... well, I'd never want to go back."

I tend to favor the "born" theory. But even if you believe that entrepreneurs can be "made," I think you have to agree that certain key character traits have to be in place in order for someone to make it in the thrilling — and sometimes frightening — world of entrepreneurialism.

In the September 1986 edition of Business Horizons, John G. Burch created a list of entrepreneurial traits that capture for me — and for other famous entrepreneurs — the essence of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur:

A desire to achieve. "The critical ingredient is ... doing something. It's as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer." ( Nolan Bushnell , founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese)

Hard work. "An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew, hoping he'll quickly learn how to chew it." (Roy Ash, co-founder of Litton Industries)

Desire to work for themselves. "Going into business for yourself, becoming an entrepreneur, is the modern-day equivalent of pioneering on the old frontier." (Paula Nelson, entrepreneur, author and CNN commentator)

Nurturing quality. "Caring is a powerful business advantage." (Scott Johnson, author, software developer and entrepreneur)

Acceptance of responsibility. "Entrepreneurs are risk takers, willing to roll the dice with their money or reputation on the line in support of an idea or enterprise. They willingly assume responsibility for the success or failure of a venture and are answerable for all its facets." (Victor Kiam, Remington shavers)