Essential to an entrepreneur’s opportunity-seeking are the entrepreneurial mind frame, heart flame, and gut game.
The entrepreneurial mind frame allows the entrepreneur to see things in a very positive and optimistic light in the midst of crisis or difficult situations. Instead of being discouraged, the entrepreneur is able to use these problematic situations as inspiration in creating something innovative. In fact, in Chinese writing, the word crisis is composed of two characters. The first character means danger while the second character means opportunity.
If there is one commonality between an inventor and an entrepreneur, it is their surging passion or the entrepreneurial heart flame. Driven by passion, they are drawn to find fulfillment in the act and process of discovery.
Passion is that great desire to attain a vision or fulfill a mission. It is about wanting something so much that a person would be willing to totally devote one’s self to the quest. Despite several setbacks or disappointments, the entrepreneur is not easily disheartened but is rather driven to persevere even more.
The heart flame is also about emotional intelligence or EQ, which is often manifested in the entrepreneur’s efforts to nurture relationships with customers, employees, and suppliers. The entrepreneur also looks after the interests of his or her people by motivating and encouraging them to be the best they can become. This creates a caring culture within the organization that brings about synergy among the people working toward a common vision.
The final ingredient is the entrepreneurial gut game. This refers to the ability of the entrepreneur to sense without using the five senses. This is also known as intuition.
Somehow, the entrepreneur just knows whether something will work or not without necessitating logical, systematic, and sequential thinking. The gut game also connotes courage or, in the local dialect, “lakas ng boob” (strong intestinal fortitude). It is simply confidence in one’s self and the firm belief that everything is within reach so long as you aspire for it.
