The Successful Entrepreneur
& Temperament Type

To increase the chances of becoming a successful entrepreneur using the information on this page can be a useful strategy, to enable you to select the most suitable home business type that is a natural fit to your temperament, and hence most likely to show a profit.

The four temperaments which will be looked at next can be considered as the 4 possible combinations of left/right brain and introvert/extrovert.

Left Brain v Right Brain & The Successful Entrepreneur

In the 1970’s Roger Sperry showed that each cerebral hemisphere operates in a different manner. Experiments were conducted on patients suffering from epilepsy, who had had the connecting tissue that acts as a link between the two sides removed.

When the left-eye and hand were isolated and they were asked to describe a pen; they could describe what they saw but not what it did. Likewise they could describe the function with their right-eye and hand but not describe the item.

Eventually a list was made that identified the functions of the two halves.

It became clear that each side had a specific way it saw and interpreted what it saw as well as the reactions to this data/concept. This is termed left brain v right brain.

We use both sides but people tend to predominate or favour one side, further more there are those who are very right brain or very left brain.

Though there are still debates on these findings, science awarded Sperry a Nobel Prize in 1981 so his work is probably of some importance.

Decisions are made primarily on emotion backed up by logic, but right brained individuals will use less logic and more emotion and vice versa for left brained people.

Left brained individuals are at an advantage to becoming a successful entrepreneur as most types of business and managing money is more suited to the way their brains naturally work.

Similarly right brained people are more likely to have financial pressures and be looking at home businesses… the least natural look the most.

To do a more in depth study on your own make up ... click here.


Introvert or Extrovert?

Some of the characteristics of an extrovert are spontaneity, daring and quick decision making. Furthermore extroverts are risk-takers, rule breakers and impatient.

If this is married to a logical left brain then it can mean good snap decisions and systematic actions characteristics of a successful entrepreneur. In conjunction with a right brain means they are more likely to be hit-or-miss decisions, and more likely to fall for Copy.

Extroverts are also less likely to be introspective and to look at themselves, they tend to look outwards.

The introverts are slow decision makers… autoresponder’s and long Copy trickle-feed information, and thus are more effective on slow decision makers.

They are more likely to analyze and investigate a new idea, and be cautious about making a decision. Patience, consistency and persistency are definite pluses and increase the chances of someone becoming a successful entrepreneur, especially in terms of money management.

Weaker aspects can be a lack of drive, boldness and decisiveness.

These describe pure types... almost everyone is made of a mixture of the different types in varying degrees. What you need to do is decide which sounds the most like you, not exactly like you.

This is just the temperament section, as mentioned earlier our character is made up of our temperament and our personality, the latter being influenced from our environment.

People with predominant Worker traits: Margaret Thatcher, Alan Sugar (The Apprentice UK), Al Capone, Donald Trump (The Apprentice US).

General description: Natural leaders… Born to win.

They have most of the inherent traits suited to being a successful entrepreneur, the majority of millionaires are of a Worker disposition.

In context with society they have the set of characteristics which bring them to the top, be it organising, leading or handling emergencies.

Careers: Policemen, Emergency services, CEOs, Chairmen of Boards, Generals, Senior NCOs, Political and Religious leaders, Chiefs, Bosses, Entrepreneurs, Gang leaders, Head boys and Head girls.

This type is mildly left brain and extroverted.

Driving force	Dislike	Strengths	Challenges
To lead	Not being in charge	Workaholic & dynamic drive	Rash decisions
Be in control	Small talk & waffle	Task focused & practical	Rude & tactless
Make money	Looking soft	Uncanny ability to be right	Dislike detail
Aspires to great things	Mushy behaviour	Works harder under pressure	Arrogant & Stubborn
To Win	Being challenged	Strong direct management style	Explosive temper & aggressive
Be independent	Being conned	See the whole picture	Tough & domineering
Be seen to achieve	Routine	Goal orientated & risk taker	Ruthless & unfeeling
To be challenged	Attacks on personality	Singleness of purpose	Difficulty in showing approval
Have the best	Giving compliments	Best at organising & delegating	Impatient & inflexible
Need for change	Mistakes	Renegades & pioneers	Fear losing control or power
Correct wrongs	Detail & trivia	Optimistic & self- confident	Contemptuous
Action & adventure	Wishy-washy people	Leadership qualities	The end justifies the means

Perhaps the most obvious thing to note is that this temperament is the stereotyped successful entrepreneur.

Most, but not all, of the people who had been successful with business opportunities that I met were of this disposition.

People with predominant Talker traits: Elvis Presley, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Steve Irwin, Jim Carrey.

General description: Life of the party, unconventional, bold and spontaneous.

They are charming, chatty, optimistic, pleasure-seeking, impulsive, courageous, imaginative and expressive, naïve and a bit scatty. They have difficulty with detail, monotony and concentrating on routine.

Careers: Performers, Presenters, Salespersons, Teachers, Diplomats, Politicians, Hosts and Guides.

This type is very right brain and very extroverted.

Driving force	Dislike	Strengths	Challenges
Fun	Routine	Brainstorming	Tendency to talk too much
Play	Character assassination	Seeing the big picture	Procrastinates
Excitement	Cold & callous people	Optimistic	Disorganised
Stimulation of the senses	Anything dull & boring	Intuitive & outspoken	Easily distracted
Approval	Repetition	Enthusiastic & outgoing	Mood changes quickly
Action	Being ignored	Charismatic	Forgetful
Freedom	Being embarrassed	Persuasive & competitive	Naive
Recognition	Listening to others	Charming & popular	Unrealistic
Dominate conversations	Being alone	Bold	Undisciplined
Decide on feelings	Details & small print	Understanding & diplomatic	Exaggerates
Spontaneity	Responsibility	Compassionate & passionate	Absent-minded
To live in the present	Commitments	Inspires others	Emotional under pressure

People with predominant Watcher traits: Jimmy Carter, President Mubarak, Mahatma Gandhi, ‘Obi-wan Kenobi’.

General description: Salt of the earth, laid-back and calm.

These types are the backbone of society, quiet, unassuming, practical and capable. This one type is the most consistent of all the temperaments. Despite their easy going nature they also have the second best ability to deal with crises and difficult situations.

Often seen as slow and lethargic their thinking style is deductive reasoning, thus they appear to think, speak and act slower than others.

More prepared and deliberate, thorough and organized, they may seem to take a long time to figure out a problem, but then execute the task with efficient steadiness.

Careers: Teachers, Government officials, Council workers, Military, Councillors, Customer service, Engineers and Craftsmen.

This type is mildly right brain and introverted.

Driving force	Dislike	Strengths	Challenges
Easy life	Conflict	Consistency	Tendency to be indecisive
Stability	Uncertainty	Capable ability	Lethargic & Unenthusiastic
To specialise	Decisions	Competent & efficient	Slow
Support others	Rocking the boat	Patient & supporting	Stubborn
Routine	Sudden alterations to plan	Well-organised	Dislike changes
Calm atmosphere	Loud & aggressive people	Good planning & preparation	Avoids involvement
To be part of a team	Change	Accurate with records	Placid
Predictability	Breaking the rules	Not ruffled easily	Overly sensitive
Harmony	Being pushed around	Witty	Passive & conformist
Rest & leisure	Responsibility	Calm	Little aspiration
Security	Discipline	Mediate & teaching	Apathetic & sarcastic
Approval	Coming off the fence	Dependable	Escape & sleep under pressure

People with predominant Thinker traits: Einstein, The Queen of England, ‘Mr. Spock’.

General description: Organised and composed.

The most logically intelligent group: self-denying, reserved, solemn, suspicious, thoughtful, and reliable. They tend to be introspective, orderly, private, talented, creative, and less outwardly sensitive or demonstrative.

Careers: Accountants, Solicitors, Auditors, Lawyers, Stock Brokers, Architects, Doctors, Dentists, Critics, Planners, Artists and Musicians.

This type is very left brain and very introverted.

Driving force	Dislike	Strengths	Challenges
To be right	Obnoxious people	Top money manager	Over analysis
Problem solving	Chaos	Best budgeter	Morose
Want appreciation	Being embarrassed	Deep thinkers	Overly pessimistic
Bring order & structure	Criticism of their work	Detail conscious	Highly sceptical
High standards	Being wrong	Planning & preparation	Self-examining
Perfection & precision	Disorganisation	Abstemious	Too cautious
Know why something works	People being late	Precise	Tunnel vision
Recognition as key figure	Spontaneity & surprises	Consistent	Antagonistic
Punctuality	Noise	Ability to do routine tasks	Heatedly annoyed
Tranquillity	Being incompetent	Persistent & thorough	Fussy
Detailed analysis & specific data	Being hurried	Thinks long-term	Irresolute
Security	Getting too personal	Deep concern	Worries under pressure

Each person is made up of a combination and intensity of temperament types, as well as a unique environmental history.

The resulting combination is their unique character… though you are truly unique you share temperament similarities with others.

Look at your mix… are you Thinker-Worker or Talker-Watcher? Each will be different from a pure type.

The Talker and Watcher are referred to as Open types, being more centred on relationships and feelings.

The Worker and Thinker are more task-orientated and centred around organisation, they are referred to as Closed types.

This is a crude method of classification to illustrate the point that there exist intra-population temperament differences.

These differences directly affect all mental aspects that lead to business and monetary actions, which in turn are part of the factors that lead to someone becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Although it is crude it is also practical.

It is important to remember I didn’t come across this at a shrink’s seminar, but from top salesmen and millionaire entrepreneurs. They use this theory to alter their behaviour and words when speaking to clients. They don’t do it for fun, only because it increases their bank balance and that only happens if something is working.

The second element that makes up your character is more obvious to everyone... our history and life’s effects. There is no need to go into detail here, just to get you thinking about how your past may have helped or hindered your current ability.

I hope you can see by now that it is our unique characters and in particular our temperament which can make us a good, medium or bad choice right at the start before we begin.

In order to become a successful entrepreneur you need to match yourself to a suitable business not the other way around.

Aside from temperament these common mistakes determine if a prospect will become a successful entrepreneur.