By Teresa Palagano, Ballooning Nest Eggs

The very traits that label children as “trouble” are often the same ones that spur success throughout their life. Here are 10 surprising signs of an entrepreneurial spirit.

Do you find your niece or nephew to have a rebellious streak? Do they refuse to play according to the rules? Congratulations, you may have a budding entrepreneur on your hands. Now all you have to do is avoid squashing the very qualities that may help them launch a jaw-dropping start-up a decade or two down the road.
 
Adults often work very hard to erase traits in children that might serve to propel them forward as successful entrepreneurs, says Grant Cardone, a New York Times bestselling author who has studied entrepreneurs for 25 years. What others see as liabilities are actually assets, he says. Henry Ford, Oprah Winfrey and Steve Jobs didn’t rise to the top of their industries because they played nicely with everyone and adhered to social norms, he says. They succeeded because they didn’t.
 
If you see entrepreneurial traits in your niece or nephew, Cardone cautions against traditional assumptions about what makes “good behavior” and recommends trying alternative thoughts and actions when parenting. “Why not leave them alone and see what happens?” asks Cardone. “[They] might invent something, or change the world or make something big happen.”
 
Here, Cardone lists the traits. Your niece or nephew might be an entrepreneur in the making if they…
 
1. Hate the Status Quo. Your niece or nephew doesn’t just follow the pack and do something one way because that’s the way it’s always been done.
 
2. Are Easily Bored. If your little one isn’t challenged, they’re not paying attention. This is why Bill Gates dropped out of college.
 
3. Get Fired A Lot. This really translates to getting pushed out of play groups, kicked off teams or asked to leave the Taekwondo class. Again, following another leader and going with the flow just isn’t their thing.
 
4. Are Labeled a Rebel. Your niece or nephew believes laws, rules and policies are simply suggested guidelines.
 
5. Resist Authority. “You are not the boss of me” is your niece or  nephew’s personal mantra.
 
6. Are Ready to Improve Everything. To them, gaming systems are pulled apart in the name of building a better Wii.
 
7.  Don’t Believe in Small Talk. Why would anyone want to talk about the weather, your niece or nephew would wonder.
 
8. Get Bullied. Other kids tend to be pick on anyone who is different.
 
9. Are Obsessive. When your niece or nephew get started on something or pick up an interest, they doesn’t stop until they’ve mastered it.
 
10. Have Difficulty Relaxing. Bedtime doesn’t usually translate to sleep as your little one remains consumed with thoughts and ideas from the day.
 
While a Savvy Auntie might want to reinforce concepts like cooperation and respect, you don’t want to smother your niece or nephew’s independent nature. “We should all learn to avoid negative judgment,” Cardone says, “because socially unattractive traits are often useful in forging a future. “For instance, there’s a negative connotation when a kid is obsessed with something.  But I have yet to meet or read about a successful entrepreneur who was not obsessive—Steve Jobs, Ben Franklin, John F. Kennedy. This attribute may have caused problems in one area of their lives but look at their contributions.
 
“You don’t know what’s sitting underneath.  Just because it is not your way does not mean this person will not be brilliant,” says Cardone. Instead of trying to divert their attention when they’re fixated on something, “let them feed that insatiable appetite for whatever their interest is.  Let them completely lose themselves in that because it might be their purpose in life.” Mr. Cardone feels children know their purpose in life, well before they begin to attend school.  “There is a single purpose for every individual.  I’ve known I was a writer since I was five years old, but I didn’t write my first book until I was 51.”

Slapping labels on children, and adults for that matter, causes us to make assumptions that just aren’t true. “I know a man who is beyond shy but runs a multi-billion dollar company,” says Cardone. His silence is often mistaken for arrogance. “When he’s quiet, I know he’s taking it all in. That’s just the way he does things.”
 
If aunts can teach their nieces and nephews not to “believe in what others say about you;  believe in yourself,” Cardone is convinced the world would be filled with more extraordinary people—rebels and entrepreneurs alike.

Now that you know some of the traits that make for entrepreneurs, join our discussion on Facebook.

Photo: stevendepolo via Flickr cc
Published: May 27, 2014