Just because you’re smart, confident and hardworking doesn’t mean you should run a business.
People tell me all the time, “I know I could be a successful entrepreneur but for this one problem”–meaning some specific psychological tick or hang-up. My deflection, which I’ve honed over the years: “Sorry, but I cannot help you.”
Then I lay my Humpty-Dumpty-Entrepreneur theory on them.
Humpty Dumpty entrepreneurs have the kind of personality, or a particular psychological bent, that simply doesn’t lend itself to entrepreneurial success. Mind you, these people aren’t losers, mentally ill or doomed to fail in other pursuits.
Are you a Humpty Dumpty? Some warning signs:
– You can’t stop working.
– You are a narcissist.
– You think you can buy your way in.
Photo by scholastic.co.uk.