JoAnn maintains that the best advice her grandmother gave her was “When in doubt, do without.” It rings in her ears when she shops, when she ponders taking a vacation on a credit card and most recently when a friend suggested getting a tattoo. The advice has saved JoAnn thousands of dollars and taught her self-discipline. Clearly, neither JoAnn nor her grandmother is impulsive.

On the other hand, an entrepreneur is: energetic, spontaneous, and quick to make decisions. This person is impulsive, easily distracted and often has difficulty planning for the future. This risk-taking behavior enables her to seize opportunities under stress.

Entrepreneurs gamble their finances, reputations and self-esteem in the hopes of building a better business and making greater profits.

Research by Adrian Furnham shows impulsive people are surprisingly stable and sociable. They are sensitive to reward cues, but insensitive to punishment cues. Impulsive individuals are appealing; they don’t mess around, thriving on change. They go for quick rewards. They think on their feet, rapidly converting thought into action.

But impulsives can also be lethal. They need someone to temper their enthusiasm, to consider consequences and to plan ahead. They throw caution to the wind with their fast tempo and search for the next thrilling reward.

Impulsiveness and caution must temper one another. Be sure your organization has a good balance. Who comes up with the crazy ideas? Who points out the pitfalls?

The road is easier together,

Linda Laitala, President
Raven Performance Group