But I'm Not Like My Family!

Instinct: Tapping Your Entrepreneurial DNA to Achieve Your Business Goals
by Thomas L. Harrison, Mary H. Frakes

(Page 5 of 8)

I can hear you saying "But if genes are so important, how come I'm so different from the rest of my family? My dad was a lazy slob; does that mean I'm doomed to be one, too?"

Not at all. Here's why:

• Genes can be recessive. Physical traits often skip a generation. It's logical to assume that personality traits can, too.

• Genes don't operate in a vacuum. The way a gene functions can be affected by when and how its instructions get switched on and carried out. As science writer Matt Ridley points out in his book Nature via Nurture, scientists are discovering that genetic instructions are more like a recipe than a blueprint. If you put all the right ingredients into a cake batter but you set the heat too low or leave it in the oven too long, things can go wrong. Genes function in much the same way. The environment you grew up in may be very different from the environment your dad grew up in. Even if your personalities were identical, you have learned different things than your parents did, and your genes will express themselves differently.

• Genes aren't photocopies. You're a mix of two sets of genes: your mother's and your father's. Each of them inherited a combination of genes from their parents, each of whom also inherited two sets from their parents. It doesn't take a math genius to see that the number of ways those genes can be combined, even in the same family, is enormous.

• Genes affect your environment - and vice versa. If your genes give you a personality that's slightly different from a brother or sister, you may react and behave differently in your environment. That behavior will probably lead people - including your parents - to treat each of you a bit differently, no matter how hard they try to be evenhanded. The different treatment can reinforce any differences in siblings' personalities.

• Genes may behave differently, depending on whether they come from your father or your mother. Research on mice shows that certain genes, called "imprinted" genes, function only if they're inherited through the father; others work only if they came from Mom. Maternal imprinted genes seem to influence the parts of the brain that deal with thinking; paternal genes have more impact on development of the emotional, limbic parts of the brain.

Researchers have found that living in the same family has less to do with personality than genes do; an estimated 10 percent or less of the differences in our personalities can be attributed to shared environments such as family.18 And after a certain age, that family environment has less and less to do with who we are.19

Your Genetic Inventory

Want to know where you stand on each of the Big 5 personality traits? This quiz can give you a general idea of what strengths and weaknesses may be highly influenced by your genes. Knowing them can help you understand how they might help or impede you as an entrepreneur. It can also show you areas you may need to supplement, either through experience or finding other ways to obtain what you lack. There are no right or wrong answers; what counts is your individual combination of traits and how you develop, use, and apply them. This is not designed to be a formal psychological examination. It is only intended to give you a general idea of your genetic starting point.

Entrepreneurial Personality Quiz

Answer the questions by checking either A or B. Once you've answered all questions in each section, total the number of checkmarks in each column.20

Section I

A B

You find it more enjoyable to (a) deal with real-life, concrete situations, such as closing deals, winning new clients, and reviewing data, or (b) imagine new products that don't yet exist and daydream about how you might be able to develop them.

You (a) are not terribly absorbed by natural or artistic beauty; you relate more to people, things, and information, or (b) respond powerfully to beauty and often find it in things others don't, whether in the arts or nature.

You generally (a) make sure you keep your emotions from affecting your business decisions, or (b) are very aware of how your behavior and decisions are influenced by what you feel.

When you hit an obstacle in reaching a goal, are you more likely say to yourself, (a) "If I just stick to my game plan and persevere, I'll get there; I've done it before," or (b) "Maybe there's another way to reach my goal; besides, I'd rather try something new anyway"?

When a conversation at a business gathering turns to abstract ideas such as philosophy or a discussion of aesthetics, would you tend to (a) find another conversation; you can't be bothered with all that irrelevant debating, or (b) find yourself interested in hearing various ideas and opinions, and perhaps even join in the conversation?

Which concept appeals to you most: (a) "A tradition of excellence" or (b) "Think different"?

Total for Section I

Section I: Openness to Experience

This aspect of personality measures how receptive you are to new experiences and ideas. If you had a lot of As in this section, you probably tend to focus on the here and now, the concrete, the norm. You are more comfortable with tradition, routine, and the familiar than with questioning the status quo. You may dislike ambiguity and prefer having a few well-defined interests. You often get impatient with things you perceive to have little usefulness or connection with the real world. Having a low degree of Openness can be valuable in enforcing regulations or focusing on well-defined, specific goals, such as sales.

If you had mostly Bs here, you tend to think creatively, try new things, and have many different interests. Generally, you are intellectually curious, aware of your own emotions, and open to reexamining ideas and beliefs. A high score here can be an asset in recognizing new opportunities and alternative ways of doing things. Many entrepreneurial personalities, especially those who actually start their own companies, exhibit a high degree of Openness.

Copyright © 2005 by Thomas L. Harrison

About the Author

Thomas L. Harrison is chairman and CEO of Omnicom Group's Diversified Agency Services, the world's largest holding group of marketing services companies.

Mary H. Frakes is an award-winning writer and editor, and the author of Mind Walks: 100 Easy Ways to Relieve Stress, Stay Motivated, and Nourish Your Soul.