Formal education will make you a living; self education will make you a fortune.”
— Jim Rohn, Entrepreneur, Author and Motivational Speaker
For the last decade, I have counseled entrepreneurs in their personal and professional lives, helping them build businesses and maintain happiness and fulfillment. Being an entrepreneur myself, who built and sold a catering company, the fascinating, internal formula that creates some of the world’s most successful people is a personal passion. I have found that the formula comes with some inherent challenges, and many entrepreneurs must learn to harness them to succeed.
I believe entrepreneurs are born. There are people who over time develop the skills necessary to start successful businesses, but most entrepreneurs are born with specific gifts and unique talents that can be fostered by their environment to create the internal formula of a successful entrepreneur. The “X,” “Y,” and “Z” of the formula are often misunderstood and even frowned upon.
I am not at all surprised when I sit down with a successful entrepreneur and have trouble keeping track of their thoughts as they race through a conversation about their latest endeavor. Energy is high and emotions are running rampant with passion as they stumble through laying out the details. Nor am I surprised when the idea is bursting with genius, creativity and will stand out like a “purple cow” in the crowd.
When I said I have trouble keeping track of the conversation, I’m referring to the “X” element or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). I’ve found that ADD is often wildly misunderstood. It’s believed that people with ADD jump from one task to the next with a lack of focus and can’t get anything done. While that can be true, the main element of ADD is a preoccupation and fascination with what they find truly interesting. For example, if a person with ADD is interested in model cars, they have trouble focusing on anything but model cars. If a person with ADD is building a business involving something they’re passionate about, they have trouble focusing on anything except the elements of the business they enjoy. It’s this preoccupation and fascination that keeps the entrepreneur pushing forward. They really have no choice, since it’s difficult to focus on anything else.
When I described the excitement and high energy that often exudes from successful entrepreneurs, or the “Y” factor, I’m referring to the Bipolar aspect of the successful entrepreneur’s personality. I am not saying that all entrepreneurs struggle with Bipolar Disorder, but many do and many more rate higher on the Bipolar scale than the average person. Just Google “famous people with Bipolar” and hundreds of articles and lists will appear with the names of entrepreneurs, artists, entertainers and politicians.
Bipolar is another disorder that is often misunderstood. People think that those suffering with it have moods swings that fluctuate drastically throughout the day. Most of the time, this is not the case. Some people are mostly on the “high” or manic side while others can stay depressed for long periods of time. It’s this high energy side of Bipolar that allows people to function without much sleep and have enough energy to get a business up and running and keep employees motivated. The manic entrepreneur is out of touch with reality and protected from the normal stresses of starting a business. They feel like they can conquer anything.
When I mentioned that I’m not surprised when the idea stands out from the crowd, is unusual and draws attention, I’m referring to the “Z” element of the formula or Narcissism. This is another one that is misunderstood. While Narcissists get a bad reputation, they are some of my favorite people. I should also state that almost all of us have some degree of Narcissism in our makeup. We all like to feel love and approval from others. Some of us just rate higher on the Narcissism scale than the average person.
There are different theories to the origins of Narcissism, and it’s probably more than one element that contributes to the overall personality disorder, but a common belief is the person was lacking love, attention and affection from an important relationship as a child, so they seek love and approval. Narcissists can be very loving people because they know what the love they are longing for looks and feels like, so they understand how to give it to others. They are typically likable, charismatic and influential; the type of people who walk in a room and demand attention. They exude what they are desperately seeking, even without saying a word.
All three X, Y, Z elements – ADD, Bi-Polar and Narcissism – create the perfect combination for a successful entrepreneur. The child with ADD who didn’t receive many kudos until they found a focus finally has love pouring in from success, which feeds the Narcissism. The Bipolar gives them enough energy and excitement to take their passion to the next level.
It’s not the average person who can forgo comforts and rationale and hyper focus enough to get a brilliant, stand-out-from-the-crowd idea off the ground. But this dynamic combo is a perfect formula. It’s the management and maintenance of a business that can struggle once the entrepreneur is on to their next venture or idea, which is why people who make up for the entrepreneur’s shortcomings need to be in place. The healthy entrepreneur knows their weaknesses and strengths and reaches out to people for help. For the entrepreneur, understanding the unique challenges this X, Y and Z combustion creates for their life and the lives of those around them is crucial.
Understand it + Embrace it + Harness it = True Success, Happiness and Fulfillment for the successful entrepreneur.
MarGO!
Margo Geller, Counselor and Coach
Business, Career and Life
404-218-4559
www.MargoGeller.com
