Entrepreneurs: Made or Born?

Posted on October 01, 2010 by Nathan R Mitchell, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

There is a debate whether Entrepreneurs are made or born. If you were to visit Wikipedia, the answer seems quite clear that Entrepreneurs are made, because the word ‘Entrepreneur’ is defined as “a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture, or idea and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome” (www.wikipedia.com). Personally, I don’t know many who were born in possession of a new enterprise, venture, or idea. And for those who possibly were, I have a hard time believing they were in a position where they could assume significant accountability for the risks and outcomes associated with it. Obviously, I am being quite facetious. However, there is two sides to the debate; or maybe three: yours, mine, and the truth.

Seriously, on one side of the debate there are those who believe that Entrepreneurship is a spirit you either have or you don’t (don’t worry, there is no need to call the Ghost Hunters)! On the other side, you have those who believe that Entrepreneurship can be created in individuals through academics. The interesting thing about this though, is that for some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, school was not a priority! By their very nature, Entrepreneurs typically do not enjoy conformance to rules and boundaries that are typical of Academics and Corporate America. They tend to relish in creativity instead.

So, can Entrepreneurship be taught? Personally, I studied Management in college, and I was fortunate enough that the University I attended had an “Entrepreneurship Option.” And fortunately, this is a growing trend. More schools than ever before, are now offering programs that are designed to help entrepreneurs gain the skills necessary to launch successful businesses.

At the end of the day, whether or not entrepreneurs are made or born doesn’t really matter. Just like everything else, success is not determined by your genetics or your level of academics. It’s determined by the individual!

Keep Winning!