This is a subscriber-only article. Join Entrepreneur+ today for access

Learn More

Already have an account?

Sign in
Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

The Single Most Important Trait for Any Successful Entrepreneur You may not be as technologically brilliant as Jack Dorsey or Aaron Levie, but you can adopt their intense competitiveness.

By Diana Ransom

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

entrepreneurshipinabox.com

From the late Steve Jobs to Twitter's Jack Dorsey, certain entrepreneurs seem to spring from the womb predisposed to success. Not only are they exceptionally smart, but they also have a dogged belief in their own abilities and a similar unrelenting passion for achieving their vision.

Put simply, they don't do things like "regular" people. Case in point: Los Altos, Calif.-based Aaron Levie, the 28-year-old co-founder of online data-storage company Box, now valued at more than $1 billion. As a student at the University of Southern California, Levie shunned the typical college social scene. "If people were going out on Saturday night, I preferred to be on my computer and working on the next internet idea," he says. "I just recognized that I was a bit different than everyone else."

While Levie is hardly alone, he's certainly not in the majority among entrepreneurs. "They're a different breed," claims Jeff Cornwall, Belmont University's director of the Center for Entrepreneurship in Nashville, Tenn. "In the last four years, I can only identify five undergrad students [like Levie] that could fit into that high-growth entrepreneur category."

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Leadership

Good Leadership Is a Lot Like a Bag of Golf Clubs, According to the CEO of Hooters

Hooters of America CEO Sal Melilli talks about moving from working at the kitchen sink to in the C-suite, diversifying income streams, and celebrating 40 years of Hooters Girls.

Side Hustle

This Millennial Dad Just Wanted to Help His Daughter Care for Her Bearded Dragon. Then His Cricket-Breeding Side Hustle Exploded — Earning $27,000 in One Month.

It wasn't Jeff Neal's first attempt at a side gig, and before long, the "prototypical millennial side-hustler" realized his product had major potential.

Business News

Bank Accidentally Deposits $86 Million Into Woman's Account, Freezes Her Assets

The incident occurred at the Malaysian bank, Maybank.

Life Hacks

This Bad Work Habit Is Stealing a Shocking 72 Days of Your Time Per Year

Here's how to recognize if you're guilty — and reclaim those precious days.

Business News

Google Accidentally Sent This Man a $250,000 Payment

Security engineer Sam Curry was in for quite the treat when he checked his bank account around a few weeks ago.

Living

Get 24 Roses for $35 with This Holiday Deal

Order these roses by December 7 for on-time holiday delivery.