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What’s Your Entrepreneurial Brain Style?
© 2016 Caliber Leadership Systems 1
All Entrepreneurs
T he traditional way most people think about entrepreneurs or our
cultural stereotype is men who begin with an innovative idea
and build it into a thriving enterprise. Think Bill Gates, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs,
and Mark Zuckerberg for example.
However, contrary to this stereotype, an
entrepreneur is actually anyone, male or female, that builds their own business
around something they are passionate about doing, working outside of the
safety and perceived security of an employer. They either see a need or have a skill/talent they leverage and build an
enterprise around. What also distinguishes entrepreneurs is that they
have to learn about areas of business that are out of their field of expertise
(planning, managing performance, accounting, etc.).
The Entrepreneurial Brain
Many articles have been written about
the entrepreneurial brain that support the stereotype. For example, studies have been done using select groups, “35
businessmen,” “30 founder entrepreneurs” and “67 self-proclaimed
entrepreneurs.” These studies take people (mostly men) who are already
leading entrepreneurial businesses instead of looking at how their brains are
organized functionally. It’s actually the
What’s Your
Entrepreneurial
Brain Style?
ARE NOT Created Equal Written by Anne Dranitsaris. Ph.D., Caliber Leadership Systems
What’s Your Entrepreneurial Brain Style?
© 2016 Caliber Leadership Systems 2
Entrepreneur is defined as “someone who exercises initiative by organizing a venture to take benefit of an opportunity and, as the decision maker, decides what, how, and how much of a good or service will be produced. An entrepreneur supplies risk capital as a risk taker, and
monitors and controls the business activities. The entrepreneur is usually a sole proprietor, a partner, or the one who owns the majority of shares in an incorporated venture or business.”
Each entrepreneurial style:
has natural talents and abilities that when directed can be used in the service of the or-ganization;
has specific behaviors they use to achieve their own agenda that get in the way of the business’ goals;
have to be managed and coached in order to shift from functional to dysfunctional be-
haviours;
can be developed over time to add value to the organization.
functional preferences of the brain that cause people to become entrepreneurs
and create businesses to satisfy their emotional needs while using their unique
abilities. However, there are more emotional needs that drive people to
become entrepreneurs than the need of our stereotype.
8 Types of Entrepreneurs
Based on a century of research in the brain
and personality, we have determined there are eight types of entrepreneurs based on
how an individual’s brain is organized (based on the Striving Styles Personality
System). The stereotypical
entrepreneur is hard-wired to use their right rational brain in the outer world. This part
of the brain is responsible for foresight, innovation, risk taking and optimism. While
this brain style is most likely to build a business enterprise to meet their need to
succeed and gain recognition, there are 7 other styles of entrepreneurs that populate
our entrepreneurial landscape based on their unique needs.
Contrary to the stereotype we have about what an entrepreneur is like,
the definition is actually broad and the type of businesses they create can vary from a large global
enterprise to a private practice.
What’s Your Entrepreneurial Brain Style?
© 2016 Caliber Leadership Systems 3
The 8 Entrepreneurial Styles
Traditional Business Entrepreneur
Builds a business the way others have done in the past, thereby minimizing risk.
Prefers franchise ownership, insurance, financial or manufacturing businesses where the
business satisfies visible needs of customers. Grows the business in slow, incremental steps.
Business Enterprise Entrepreneur
Stereotypical entrepreneur, ambitious, competitive risk-taker. Builds a business
based on an idea, need or innovation. Motivated to create something new, close deals,
and succeed. Gets easily bored whenever business goes into maintenance mode or hits a
plateau.
Social Enterprise Entrepreneur
Builds a business on an humanitarian or social need. Clinic, personal services business, career counselling center ---
anything with the focus of the business is on people. Skillful and enthusiastic communicator,
able to promote and market the business with ease.
Experiential Service Entrepreneur
Builds a business around what they like
to do --- solving problems by providing a tangible product or service (i.e. mechanic,
lobbyist, landscaper.) Optimistic risk takers, market the business by letting people know what their problem is and how they can solve it.
Expert Service Entrepreneur
Builds a business around own expertise (i.e. technology, research, law). Busi-
ness can be limited to sole practitioner or several juniors. Business limited by the availa-
bility of the expert(s) providing the services. De-velops a niche market for area of specialization.
Visionary Enterprise Entrepreneur
Builds a business using insight into what the market needs or a new way to
satisfy physical, emotional, business or technical needs. Driven to do something no one
else has done because it’s interesting and excit-ing, not for personal recognition or to make
money.
Artisan Service Entrepreneur
Builds a business around whatever per-sonal service, product or performance they are gifted at ---- therapist, counsel-
lor, freelance editor. Creativity is at the core of the business whether as a baker, painter or
glassier. Tends to be sole practitioners or store-front enterprises.
Traditional Service Entrepreneur
Builds a business by providing services
that are practical, tangible and specific (i.e. home inspector, accountant, contractor). Exact-
ing nature and commitment to quality engenders loyalty and repeat business. Success through hard work and slow, incremental growth.
What’s Your Entrepreneurial Brain Style?
© 2016 Caliber Leadership Systems 4
There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to entrepreneurs because
everyone is capable of taking risks, growing the business from scratch and
having the ability to tolerate uncertainty. But while everyone can be an
entrepreneur, there are unique challenges and pitfalls that each of the entrepreneur
styles face because of the way their brain is organized. Knowing your
entrepreneurial style provides you with insight into how you can achieve success
despite these blind spots.
Want to know your Entrepreneurial Style?
Click Here to Take the Quiz
Caliber Leadership Systems: Entrepreneurs Working Uniquely With Entrepreneurs
Each entrepreneurial business is as unique as the person who created it. For this reason, we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead we help entrepreneurs build a sustainable organization
over time by finding out who they are, their personality, needs, vision and values. We determine what they want to change and what needs to stay the same while at the same time helping them
work through business and behavioral dysfunctions that are getting in the way of growth.
Our approach is based on more than 20+ years of experience as entrepreneurs, working with entrepreneurs. We have extensive experience in business and leadership development as well as
helping take entrepreneurial organizations through the unique difficulties experienced during all stages of growth in the entrepreneurial organization.
To help your entrepreneurial business grow, you need specialists who understand your distinct
needs and challenges. This is where Caliber stands out from other consulting firms, providing entrepreneurs of all styles support and guidance through the challenges that growth and change bring about.
For information on how we can help you get your entrepreneurial business to the next level, contact us for a complimentary consultation.
[email protected] Visit us at www.caliberleadership.com or call us at 416.406.3939
