Enhancing Entrepreneurial Excellence: Tools for Making the Possible Real

The field of entrepreneurship has long pondered the following question: Why, despite their high levels of motivation, effort and commitment, do so many entrepreneurs fail? This innovative volume tackles the complex question of entrepreneurial success, identifying the essential tools necessary for converting ideas into reality and offering concrete means for acquiring and strengthening those tools.

Though entrepreneurial success or failure can be partly attributed to external considerations such as market fluctuations and competitor activity, Robert A. Baron argues that the individual entrepreneur is often crucial in determining whether an idea succeeds or fails. Using current, concrete data, the author demonstrates the critical importance of the entrepreneur's skills, knowledge and other personal resources to the outcome of his or her entrepreneurial undertakings. Written in a clear and vibrant style, this groundbreaking book offers both a detailed breakdown of the personal attributes that foster entrepreneurial success as well as helpful suggestions for achieving and enhancing those same attributes in one's own search for entrepreneurial excellence.

Professors and students of entrepreneurship, as well as their peers in other innovation-based fields such as engineering and the sciences, will find this book an invaluable resource for both the study and practice of successful entrepreneurship.

Contents: Preface: Changing the World, One Idea at a Time 1. The Nature of Entrepreneurship-and Why Entrepreneurs Truly Matter 2. Motivation: Why Entrepreneurs Make the Journey 3. Human Cognition: The Internal Origins of Creativity, Innovation, and Ideas for the Possible 4. From Desire to Achievement: The Crucial Role of Self-Regulation 5. The Social Side of Entrepreneurship: Getting the Help You Need 6. The Personal Side of Entrepreneurial Excellence: Characteristics that Enhance Success 7. Making Effective Decisions-and Avoiding Cognitive Traps 8. Managing Adversity: Dealing with Stress, Learning from Our Mistakes, and Coping with Failure 9. Putting it All Together: A Model of the Highly Effective Entrepreneur Index