The Five Entrepreneur Archetypes: Which One Are You?

 

Every entrepreneur is unique with their own set of qualities, challenges, life circumstances and paths. But even the most unique and diverse people tend to fit into certain archetypes that represent patterns, motivations, and traits.I define archetypes as patterns of behavior that occur across cultures and geographies. Some are mission-oriented and make business decisions in line with their principles and values. Others are inventors and innovators, always venturing into uncharted territory.

We are all archetype-driven traits that determine the roles we play as individuals and as corporate leaders. Identifying which archetypes you are most likely to encounter will help you build strength and talent in your business. Entrepreneurs have many faces. Finding out which archetype most closely matches your traits will help you maximize your awareness of your abilities.

The Expert:

These entrepreneurs know themselves well and become the best of the best before moving into a more competitive environment. Build strong expertise in applying theoretical and practical knowledge using proven approaches to solving actionable and relevant problems. They are good at recognizing meaningful patterns and handling complexity well. You can identify relevant and important information and filter out irrelevant information. The downside for professionals is that they often struggle to learn the business side of things.

Innovators:

Innovators combine mental resilience, creativity and risk-taking to deliver innovative solutions that are industry game changers.
I think businesses, systems and processes that solve problems and customer problems are the main directions that innovators are drawn to.

Innovators are pioneers with the vision, passion and ability to challenge the status quo. On the other hand, if you invest heavily in innovation and fail to get your product to market before your competitors, you risk running out of cash.

Visionary:

This archetype has great vision, charisma, and many good ideas. They are passionate about their purpose and tend to take action to make their vision a success. Of course, visionary leaders are also focused. Because focus is essential to success. And they have a charisma that inspires others.

A visionary is a tactician. They are good at finding opportunities and innovative ways to reach their goals. Some bridge builders have a knack for building relationships across borders. And some visionaries are dreamers. You dream of that big product launch or you’re writing that bestseller.

Builders:

Builders are motivated to create, build and take advantage of circumstances. You are often described as ambitious, imaginative, organized, and disruptive.

Think of the greatest leaders in world history, the empires they built, the monuments they built. They were women and men with strategy, clarity, discipline, and the ability to organize empires and inspire their subjects to build palaces, temples, mausoleums, and pyramids.

The same goes for building business empires today. It also applies to people. You can be confident, ambitious, and focused. Empire builders have the ability to act strategically, delegate tasks, and inspire their teams. However, builders may insist on controlling and exerting influence over resources rather than allocating them strategically.

The Substitute:

Building empires over the decades, the builders are primarily focused on consolidating their power and influence. However, rather than consolidating control and influence, delegators actually delegate control. Think about people like Bill Gates and Elon Musk. We have a CEO, CFO, and product, operations, and sales manager to run the show.

Delegates are not only good at transferring responsibilities and abilities, they are also good at thinking long term and setting their own course. They see opportunities missed by others, pursue their dreams regardless of circumstances, and see failure as a path to success.

Your Favorite Archetype:

All entrepreneurial archetypes have strengths, but they also have Achilles heels. They have a typical identity characterized by permanence, control and stability, but also by distrust and inability to ask for help. All archetypes have strengths and weaknesses.

So when your light side is in excess, you can achieve greater goals and feel a sense of accomplishment from your work.And when your dark side is in the driver’s seat, it can negatively affect your performance. Fortunately, experience has taught us that behaviors and traits can be learned and nurtured.

For example, if you are visionary and have big dreams, you may find it difficult to set realistic goals and expectations and stay focused on your intention to live your dreams. Therefore, you may need someone to help you develop the self-discipline and focus you lack in order to put your goals into action. This is a mentor, coach, or partner who can guide you through the process of learning structures and strategies so you can set realistic goals and stick to them. You have discipline, focus, and the ability to build processes.

They know how to delegate tasks strategically and have a team of experts to handle some of the heavy lifting. What you need to learn is how to delegate control, authority, and responsibility, not just tasks.

To do this, invest in training and courses taught by successful entrepreneurs, or consider joining a thought leader.

You can find mastermind groups that focus specifically on delegation, how to identify delegation opportunities, how to communicate them effectively, and the language they use to define desired outcomes.

You may also consider investing in staff training through attending classes or formal training programs within your organization. This makes the people to whom you delegate control more competent in the decision-making process and more comfortable handing over control.

people have self-reflection, self-awareness, and self-orientation. Your attention and commitment to managing traits that can hinder your business growth can help you succeed in your endeavors and become the hero of your story.

Originally published at https://businessdor.com on January 24, 2023.