I think that most of us would like the idea of being successful in life, such as inventors of something absolutely genius or entrepreneurs running a thriving business, creating stunning products or services and having the freedom of an independent work life. All things that would make us really happy (and rich, let’s say it). But do we have what it takes to be successful entrepreneurs?
Initial desktop research identifies three main key characteristics that pretty much all entrepreneurs seem to show:
- Outrageous self-confidence
- They don’t give a damn about what other people think
- Their schedule is the most organized.
We got curious and wanted to find out how the media bubble compares to the rest of the UK. This is what we came up with:
1. How self-confident are you? (%)
To begin with, a very small percentage of people claim to be outrageously self-confident, but us media types score pretty high on a normal level of confidence, compared to the general UK population. So, media vs. UK population: 1-0.
2. Do you care what people think? (%)
Bad news, media folk. We do actually care about other people’s opinions. Ouch, media vs. UK population: 1-1.
It’s a tense match.
3. How’s your to-do list going? (%)
Well done, score! The media crowd are very organised and strikingly beat their opponents. The media bubble goes ahead and wins first place. On the whole, we have a more entrepreneurial attitude compared to the general UK population. If you want to read more, check out this link.
The world of media is a fast-paced environment, where confidence and organisation are key. Since we care so much about what other people think, are we prone to too many second guesses?
Entrepreneurship is a driving force: entrepreneurs are one of the essential engines of global economic growth. They develop new products or services; they create jobs, support local communities and build prosperous societies. And it’s now ever growing, as Frances already pointed out in her October article.
Let’s think about Steve Jobs for a second. Steve as our entrepreneurial example, Steve as someone outrageously self-confident, Steve as someone absolutely disagreeable, makes our case pretty well. He once described who is brilliantly genius to him.
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
Maybe this is the shortest but clearest lesson of what it takes to be a real, successful entrepreneur. Are Brits crazy, misfits, rebels, troublemakers, round-pegs-in-the-square-holes enough? Watch this space. Let’s be genius in the meantime.
