Earlier this year I touched on what I call the “instincts of entrepreneurship“. I’ve continued to research the way true entrepreneurs think and act; and the list of instincts has grown to become “The 11 Killer Instincts of Entrepreneurship”.

At a recent speaking event I talked about these 11 Killer Instincts. I promised the attendees that I would summarize what they heard on my blog, so here’s a bullet point style summary of what we discussed together that night.

Hopefully, you’ll capture the essence here and over time I’ll perhaps expand on each topic in ongoing blog posts. In the meantime, I’d appreciate your comments, insight, and opinion about this discussion:

The entrepreneurial mindset is a distinct way of thinking, like an genetic mindset, that produces extraordinary results. That’s why I say that an entrepreneur is a different type of “species”, if you will. The mindset I am talking about is instinctual and in my opinion has more impact on professional success than education, connections, good looks, or money.

Instinct is, by definition, “An inborn pattern of behavior that is characteristic of a specific species.”

However you define it, most agree that there’s something “different” about the classic entrepreneur. My intention is to help people everywhere understand these unique characteristics, and develop them. They’re valuable for anyone; business owner, employee or manager. In fact, Jack Welch commented recently in Business Week, “In the end, pedigree is less important than the entrepreneurial nerve…that’s needed to succeed.”

Here’s a quick look at the 11 Killer Instincts of Entrepreneurship:

1. The Solution Instinct: This is about ideas and always seeing them. It’s about seeing new opportunities while traveling, shopping, or working. Seeing problems and potential solutions to those problems is at the heart of valuable ideas and business models.

2. The Detective Instinct: This is about fact-finding and due-diligence. It’s about letting go of the emotion and excitement of a good idea and taking a venture-capitalist approach. This instinct is something that keeps one constantly assessing how a business model will work, scale, and succeed… without personal bias.

3. The Great Communicator Instinct: This is about connecting and constantly selling. It’s a constant awareness that every point of communication matters. Whether communicating with partners, investors, vendors, employees, or competitors; every communication is an opportunity to strengthen your company.

4. The Youthful Genius Instinct: This is about doing what you love. When we were young, we dreamed big dreams and showed glimmers of what we might become. Tapping into the expectation of our youth is central to successful entrepreneurship.

5. The Entrepreneurial Heritage Instinct: This is about how our heritage can reveal some or our natural gifts. What has your family and ancestors been successful at already? Exploring your roots can help one tap into opportunity. There is a reason why many families pass along entrepreneurial success and create “dynasties” of their own.

6. The Risk-Taker Instinct: This is about going out on a ledge. No risk, no reward. It’s a fundamental factor of business building or almost any major endeavor. Finding the calculated balance of risk and opportunity is key.

7. The Work-Horse Instinct: This is about paying the price. Doing whatever it takes. Those “overnight successes” usually require at least 5 years of hard work and incredible sacrifice to get there.

8. The Thick-Skinned Instinct: This is about being tough. Resilience, optimism and a positive mindset reside in every great entrepreneur. The fundamental key to success in attaining goals? Never give up.

9. The Flexibility Instinct: This is about being willing to change. Emotion and pride must be removed from the process while building a business and paying attention to the best route to take. The right path naturally eventuates; if you’re willing to recognize it and take it.

10. The Human Instinct: This is about people. Attracting the best people is more important than the business model itself. Treating people well, leading well, and serving with care is a fundamental reason why anything worthwhile should be built in the first place.

11. The Knowledge-Quest Instinct: This is about constantly learning. Reading, thinking, listening, observing, absorbing, and applying is a hallmark trait of a great entrepreneur.

These are unique instincts and in my experience, everyone possesses at least a touch of each of them. And it’s my observation that every natural instinct can be discovered, uncovered, and developed by anyone interested in doing so.

Look within and uncover your entrepreneurial instincts. You’ll find that your personal ambitions and goals will rapidly progress, improve, and materialize.

Today’s guest author Brian Rutledge, is Managing Partner at Search Marketing firm Get Page One, LLC., which he founded in 1998. Get Page One specializes in helping small to medium sized business grow and manage their online presence through organic search engine optimization, social media optimization and paid search marketing campaigns. Based in Austin, Texas, Get Page One helps clients worldwide with holistic internet marketing campaigns focused on sales, brand awareness, and reputation management.

Jeff Chavez Discusses Killer Entrepreneurship

Jeff Chavez runs one of the most successful small business coaching companies in the United States. In addition to his duties as CEO of Northstar Ventures, he’s active in the professional speaking industry.  At his latest event in Austin, which also featured his friend Tito Beveridge, Jeff discussed the 11 Killer Instinct of Entrepreneurship, a topic which had the audience deeply engaged.  There was so much feedback from the event that Jeff is now writing a book entitled, The 11 Killer Instincts of Entrepreneurship.

Jeff Chavez: Serial Entrepreneur

As founder and CEO of Northstar Ventures, Jeff is able to apply the lessons that he has learned while starting each business, whether successful or not.  He explains in his blog that some of the best lessons he’s learned was from failure, and not from the success some of his companies realized. With each failure, he grew stronger, and was able to pick up the pieces and move in a new direction; with more resolve, experience and commitment to making his next business more successful.

Jeff Chavez began his entrepreneurial career in 1992, as the Founder of Foothill Fire Safety Co. He continued to manage FFSC while forming a second company, Home Healthcare Direct, which distributed medical supplies to assisted living facilities. Both companies were successfully acquired in 1997.

From 1999 to 2002, Jeff Chavez served as Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of DispenseSource, Inc. (now Nexiant, Inc.) where he established it as one of the leading providers of automated inventory systems within the industrial and manufacturing industries. The company has emerged as the world’s leading provider of automated inventory systems.

Jeff Chavez Launches Northstar Thinktank

Northstar Thinktank is the newest edition to his business repertoire. Acting as a resource center for entrepreneurs, his team of researchers scour the internet, magazines, books, newspapers, and blogs searching for the most relevant insight that any small business owner would appreciate.  Updated nearly daily, this concept allows for professionals to select any helpful tip which is divided into the three categories of the business cycle: research and planning, marketing and sales, and growth and execution.  This site is especially helpful to those just starting their entrepreneurial journey.

Jeff Chavez: Expert Business Coach

Jeff Chavez is also writing another book called Survive-olution: How successful companies survive and thrive through innovation and evolution. The book focuses on how the success of business hinges on the ability to be flexible and change as needed.  Jeff hopes the book will be published by early 2009, where he will start his book tour and speak on this topic around the country.

Jeff Chavez also appears on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch as an expert business coach for struggling entrepreneurs. His role requires him to become familiar with each business plan, uncover the problems, and then suggests several ways to improve their concept, brand, finances, and focus.