The 9 Personality Types of Entrepreneurs

Starting and growing your own business requires many skills to be successful. Take a look at the

business personality types and find out what you need to succeed. Are you Bill Gates, a Visionary, or an

Improver like Body Shop founder, Anita Roddick?

Your business personality type are the traits and characteristics of your personality that blend with the

needs of the business. If you better understand your business personality, then you can give your company

the best part of you. Find others to help your business in areas you aren't prepared to fulfill.

There are 9 key types of personality and understanding

each will help you enjoy your business more and provide

your company with what it needs to grow. This

entrepreneur personality profile is based on the 9-point circle of the Enneagram.

Begin identifying your dominant personality theme and understand how you operate in your business.

The 9 Personality Types of Entrepreneurs

1. The Improver: If you operate your business predominately in the improver mode, you are focused on

using your company as a means to improve the world. Your overarching motto is: morally correct

companies will be rewarded working on a noble cause. Improvers have an unwavering ability to run their

business with high integrity and ethics.

Personality Alert: Be aware of your tendency to be a perfectionist and over-critical of employees and

customers.

Entrepreneur example: Anita Roddick, Founder of The Body Shop.

2. The Advisor: This business personality type will provide an extremely high level of assistance and advice

to customers. The advisor's motto is: the customer is right and we must do everything to please them.

Companies built by advisors become customer focused.

Personality Alert: Advisors can become totally focused on the needs of their business and customers that

they may ignore their own needs and ultimately burn out.

Entrepreneur example: John W. Nordstrom, Founder Nordstrom.

3. The Superstar: Here the business is centered around the charisma and high energy of the Superstar

CEO. This personality often will cause you to build your business around your own personal brand.

Personality Alert: Can be too competitive and workaholics.

Entrepreneur example: Donald Trump, CEO of Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts.

4. The Artist: This business personality is the reserved but highly creative type. Often found in businesses

demanding creativity such as web design and ad agencies. As an artist type you’ll tend to build your

business around the unique talents and creativities you have.

Personality Alert: You may be overly sensitive to your customer’s responses even if the feedback is

constructive. Let go the negative self-image.

5. The Visionary: A business built by a Visionary will often be based on the future vision and thoughts of

the founder. You will have a high degree of curiosity to understand the world around you and will set-up

plans to avoid the landmines.

Personality Alert: Visionaries can be too focused on the dream with little focus on reality. Action must

proceed vision.

Entrepreneurial example: Bill Gates, Founder of MicroSoft

Inc.

6. The Analyst: If you run a business as an Analyst, your company is focus on fixing problems in a

systematic way. Often the basis for science, engineering or computer firms, Analyst companies excel at

problem solving.

Personality Alert: Be aware of analysis paralysis. Work on trusting others.

Entrepreneurial example: Intel Founder, Gordon Moore.

7. The Fireball: A business owned and operated by a Fireball is full of life, energy and optimism. Your

company is life-energizing and makes customers feel the company has a get it done attitude in a fun

playful manner.

Personality Alert: You may over commit your teams and act to impulsively. Balance your impulsiveness

with business planning.

Entrepreneurial example: Malcolm Forbes, Publisher, Forbes Magazine.

8. The Hero: You have an incredible will and ability to lead the world and your business through any

challenge. You are the essence of entrepreneurship and can assemble great companies.

Personality Alert: Over promising and using force full tactics to get your way will not work long term. To

be successful, trust your leadership skills to help others find their way.

Entrepreneurial example: Jack Welch, CEO GE.

9. The Healer: If you are a Healer, you provide nurturing and harmony to your business. You have an

uncanny ability to survive and persist with an inner calm.

Personality Alert: Because of your caring, healing attitude toward your business, you may avoid outside

realities and use wishful thinking. Use scenario planning to prepare for turmoil.

Entrepreneurial example: Ben Cohen, Co-Founder Of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.

Each business personality type can succeed in the business environment if you stay true to your character.

Knowing firmly what your strong traits are can act as a compass for your small business. If you are

building a team, this insight is invaluable. For the solo business owners, understand that you may need

outside help to balance your business personality.

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