Got questions about entrepreneurial leadership?

Editor’s Note: Michelle Stockman is the executive director of the Fort Smith Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center. Stockman earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University-Chicago in communications and fine arts, and earned a master’s in entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University. Her thoughts on business success will appear each Monday on The City Wire.

Do you know what it takes to run a business? Are you an entrepreneur? Do you have business leadership characteristics?Contrary to the age old debate, entrepreneurs are both born with natural business skills as well as learn the skills they need to be successful. Entrepreneurs come from a wide variety of backgrounds, education levels and experience levels. Simply stated, there is no set formula or background for guaranteed success.Despite the wide variety of variables involved in starting a new business, there are some common character traits that are found amongst successful entrepreneurs.While these character traits do not guarantee business success, they are found in individuals who are willing to take the calculated risks necessary to start a business.If you are curious to see if you have entrepreneurial characteristics, answer the following statements with Yes, Maybe or No:
I’m persistent.
When I’m interested in a project, I need less sleep.
When there’s something I want, I keep my goal clearly in mind.
I examine mistakes and I learn from them.
I keep New Year’s resolutions.
I have a strong personal need to succeed.
I have new and different ideas.
I am adaptable.
I am curious.
I am intuitive.
If something can’t be done, I find a way.
I see problems as challenges.
I take chances.
To learn something new, I explore unfamiliar subjects.
I can recover from emotional setbacks in a timely manner.
I have confidence.
I experiment with new ways to do things.
I’m willing to undergo sacrifices for long-term rewards.
I can apply critical comments into improvements.
I am creative.If you answered yes to the majority of the questions, you have the earmarks of an entrepreneur. If you didn’t score the majority with yes, then you may have to push yourself more than others in your business.