Entrepreneurial leaders enjoy a reputation as freewheeling mavericks who operate in a world far removed from corporate life. Yet the overlap between entrepreneurial leaders and traditional managers is much larger than is often assumed. Creative, innovative individuals may possess copious ideas, but it takes leadership and business discipline to turn them into successful ventures.

With entrepreneurship seen as a major source of economic growth and job creation, the question remains: what makes up an entrepreneurial mindset? This question is echoed in major corporate boardrooms, with many chief executives keen to encourage internal entrepreneurial thinking and innovation as a way to reinvent their businesses and stay ahead of the competition.

This report aims to provide some insights into the minds of today’s most successful entrepreneurial leaders and discern what makes them successful. We conclude with a model that represents both the intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of their mindset and abilities.

The report features perspectives from a survey of 685 entrepreneurial business leaders from around the world and is informed by a series of in-depth interviews with Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award winners.

Download the Report: Nature or nurture? Decoding the DNA of the entrepreneur