By Rachel
I believe that we really are our own worst enemy, especially those of us who run a business.
We’re very hard-working. We believe there is something ‘more’ and we are willing to do what it takes to get there. I am one of them and I interact with dozens like me every day.
Based on these interactions, I believe there are three kinds of people in business. The first is the analysis/paralysis-type. This person has 50 projects started, but none of them finished because they’re not perfect.
The second is the take-action type. These people are so driven, they don’t even know where they’re driving to. They are decisive, but not always effective.
The third is the calculated-risk type. This person analyzes situations just enough to come to a well-informed decision, but he or she also knows how to take action when the time is right.
Ideally, we all should be the latter, but that's the curse of the entrepreneur – most of us are not.
I admit that I'm the second one, but I am slowly learning to find a balance before I’m completely fried.
The key to all of this is recognizing where you fall so you don’t end up hindering your ability to get where you need to go. (Remember the definition of insanity...)
I think boils down to fear. It’s critical not to let either the fear of making a mistake or the fear of missing an opportunity cloud our judgment. It’s important to know who we are, be comfortable with who we are, and to be a friend to others - especially to ourselves.
Which type of business owner are you?
Is it possible to be all three?
For buiness owners, I think it's impossible not to be!
This reminds of those articles that "define" the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur; they're a waste of time. People run businesses for different reasons and will be attracted to and good at different parts of the process. Extremes of any one of the three kinds of business people mentioned above won't get very far.
Being a successful business owner is like any other endeavor in life: you have to want to be there, and you have to be open to recognizing (and accepting) where your strengths and weaknesses lie.
Hi Adam,
Your points are well-taken - and something I feared in response to writing this. But, I decided to share my thoughts and see if anyone could identify.
You're right, though, working it and wanting it are critical.
Rachel