Your Comments - Part 6 - "Born or Made"

We promised to provide you with some of the feedback being received on our Linkedin Poll, where we asked the question: Are Entrepreneurs Born, or are they Made?

Our Linkedin Poll was launched on December 18, 2011 and your response has been overwhelming!  Thank you to all who contributed to the debate or voted in our poll.

Below are just a few of the comments that were provided. We have generally not edited what you see below. We trust that it being place on this BLOG will allow opportunity for other to join in the discussion.  Enjoy and please ADD your COMMENTS to this POST!

Catherine Armstrong  • I don’t know if entrepreneurs are born or made, however I think that it helps to have family or mentors who are entrepreneurs. That sets the idea that employment is not the only alternative. Entrepreneurs need drive, courage, independence, confidence and most of these qualities are developed over time. Successful entrepreneurs also need to build relationships, which takes some humility and a willingness to learn.


Linda Maul, CEC • Great question Jim, and I'm loving the responses to date. I'm also of the belief entrerpreneurs are made and over the holidays I've had the opportunity to read Jim Collin's new book 'Great by Choice'. His research shows successful organizational leaders have a fanatic discipline,empirical creativity,productive paranoia ....all fueled by ambition. The most successful entrepreneurs I know also demonstrate those characteristics. 

Randal Adcock, MA • Its this way. There is a business for everybody, whatever traits you inherit genetically, but you have to figure out what business model to adopt and tailor to meet your natural talents. That is, you have to make that up. You have to know yourself and what role in business is going to align with your natural born strengths. In some cases, you can have someone who looks like the quintessential rogue entrepreneur but hasn't found the right business model, and therefore fails. You can have someone who looks like a regular square bureaucrat but gets into a good franchise and succeeds. Since you can't change your genes, its best to focus on finding and creating a business model that works for you. That, of course, is often easier to say than to do. And you have to want to succeed in business. Is that desire acquired by birth or experience? 


Yvonne Fizer • It helps to have been exposed to role models - parents or respected 'grownups'. But, following on Randall's comments, the sustainable, successful venture is determined by the talent that comes to the table. And NO ONE can do it all. Successful entrepreneurs do what they love and build a team of people who love to do what they hate! 

Rory Tekanoff • I think a lot entrepreneurs encounter lucky breaks, to add to any success they may have. Right place, right time.  


Elisa Miranda • It's the school of hard knocks and support from family, friends, or colleagues that makes an entrepreneur. 

P Le Rudulier • Made, of course, the other option would imply no chance for anybody who would fancy becoming an entrepreneur.