Blog | Entrepreneurship

4 Business Personality Types

Here’s why knowing the four different types of people is important for your business.

Summary

• There are 4 business personality types—do you know who you are?

• Understanding your business personality type can determine how far you go

• Surround yourself with the right business personality types to truly become successful

---

Through the course of your life, you’ve certainly come across many personality types. And, in doing so, you may find yourself struggling to identify with some of them - they’re just different from you.

Sometimes they seem uncompromising, or unmotivated, perhaps even uncooperative. Whatever it is, it can be difficult to truly comprehend someone’s mindset if you’re not familiar with their attitudes or behaviors.

Introducing the four different personality types in the world:

• The “I must be right” people;

• The “I must be comfortable” people;

• The “I must be liked” people; and finally,

• The “I must win” people.

Overview of the Four Personality Types

Here are some brief descriptions before we dive in:

First, the “I must be right” people. You know these people: they've got all the answers. They're the A students, and when you're having a conversation with them, they say: “yeah, I know all about that,” or “yep, I read that book too.” In short, they have to be right at all costs and can be difficult to have ongoing creative conversations with because they have to know all the answers ALL the time. That makes it difficult for them to learn (because they “know” everything). Being “right” is a must, and it’s their constant mode of operation.

Second, are the “I must be comfortable” people. No matter what is said to encourage them, they are unmotivated to move beyond their comfort zone, despite the potential reward. These people dread pushing the limits, they hate stress, and are fine living in a perpetual state of mediocrity. And despite their initial excitement when presented with a promising opportunity, they’re unlikely to make a move. Comfortability is the most important thing to these people; anything otherwise is not in their makeup.

Third, is “I must be liked.” These are people that say whatever they think you want to hear. Though they may be popular, they are almost never good for honest, constructive criticism. Their driving force is to plant positive perceptions of themselves into others.

Finally, The “I must win” people. We know a lot of these people; Donald Trump, Michael Phelps, Robert Kiyosaki, Oprah… You get the point. These are people that know what it takes to win, and stop at nothing to do so.

What does this have to do with you?

Perhaps you’ve identified who you are, and are trying to become an “I must win” person. Or, maybe you already are an “I must win” person, but don’t know what to do next.

Let’s dive in.

In the article "When Leaving is the Only Option," author Li Zhou shared the experiences of women who, at the height of their careers in corporate America, had no other option than to leave in order to succeed.

Zhou shares the stories of a VP veteran in the software industry, Ellen Pao of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers fame, Hollywood stars like Reese Witherspoon, Lena Dunham, Shonda Rhimes, and Eva Longoria, and even a fictional character from the novel called Opening Bell.

As Zhou writes, "In all of these cases, women are conducting business on their own terms, by circumventing the barriers present in existing systems. For some, starting their own companies is the only alternative to hitting the glass ceiling at their current jobs."

This concept applies to everyone, not just women. These are the “I must win” people; and, they had nothing left for them in their existing careers.

The only alternative or the right alternative?

While the conditions many people face in corporate America are wrong and tragic, the outcome of more entrepreneurs is no unfortunate byproduct. Indeed, women are not the only ones who leave a company because they feel they can't get ahead or operate in a culture that they want to.

The prerogative of the entrepreneur to do things her or his way is one of the ultimate benefits of starting your own company! And it's something that should be celebrated, not looked at as the regrettable secondary option.

Becoming an “I must win” person

People becoming “I must win” personalities, then turning to entrepreneurship, ultimately become major catalysts for social change.

While many people have gone outside the dated models in corporate industries to excel, often via smaller, boutique firms, the influence and power of industry giants within these fields remains unparalleled. These organizations, too, desperately need to change so that everyone has equal opportunities to achieve success. Perhaps the external pressure from those who've left to start their own companies and tell their own stories will play a role in making that happen.

Long ago, Robert and Kim Kiyosaki decided that it was better to start their own revolution than to try and start one in the confines of a business or industry. That's one reason why, though they create educational products for personal finance, they never work with the education industry. Time is much better spent building a world they want to be a part of and being solution-oriented rather than fighting everything that's wrong with something already built.

Celebrate your success

If you're reading this and you feel you need to leave your job to achieve your dreams, be encouraged! It's a bold, noble, and exciting endeavor! You don't need a title and a salary to be respected—that's a lie our culture gives us about success.

However, it’s critical that you know what type of person you are, and what type of people you need around you to be successful.

Why is this important? Because when it comes to success, 90 percent of the battle is mindset. And if you’re surrounded by a bunch of “I must be rights” and “I must stay be comfortables” the truth is, you just might not get that far.

Today, take a look around, and see if your world is filled with the people you need to succeed. Then, make the changes you need to win.