“You can’t go to WH Smith and buy a book that will make you an entrepreneur. You’ve got to have some killer instinct in you – we can’t all be entrepreneurs”

There are words Sir Alan Sugar used, from the book, “Smart Luck”, a study of successful British entrepreneurs. The killer instinct of the creator of Amstrad and former Spurs FC Chairman is not in doubt. Though he thinks that entrepreneurs are born and not made, he has been lecturing students in entrepreneurship. Business schools too are now offering a range of entrepreneurship courses.

What are some of the attributes of entrepreneurs?

1. They listen, but form their own opinions.
2. They don’t give up or take ‘no’ for an answer.
3. They are not put off by failure – they treat set-backs as part of everyday life.
4. They kick back against convention and the recognised ‘norms’.
5. They are prepared to take calculated risks.
6. They exude the will to win.
7. They make things happen, never leaving things to luck.

Your company is probably not looking for you to be the next Alan Sugar, Richard Branson or James Dyson – these are unique individuals who find great difficulty in fitting into a company structure, unless they are at the top. At the other extreme, many businesses have plenty of intelligent people with high IQ levels and qualifications, who achieve very little.

Ask yourself: When was the last time you made an original contribution to your business? What happened? Failure is not a crime – not trying is!

Can you think of one entrepreneurial idea that you are prepared to stand behind and drive through within your business? It doesn’t matter what area of the business you work in or your level of seniority – good ideas are not exclusive to those lofty positions!

How can you encourage others to develop and share their good ideas?