If we want to build a great business, we need to be very careful about the people we put in charge of it. Every positive person you let into your life or your business increases your chances of being positive by 11%, according to estimates in a study published by The Royal Society. According to the report, all it takes is one friend with a “sad” disposition to become unhappy.
Working out who to avoid and who to let in isn’t always easy. It isn’t easy to identify the toxic people in your life, and at first it isn’t easy to identify them in your company either, although with a little practice you can get really good at staying away from the people who could sink your business.
These are the 9 people to avoid when you’re starting a business, according to Isaiah Hankel’s article in the prestigious magazine Entrepreneur.
1. The sirens
Sirens are those amazing, attractive people who come into your business and completely distract you. More than anyone else, these people have a knack for drawing attention to themselves and throwing your efforts off track.
A great many promising future professionals have been sacrificed to the sirens. Some people have sold their businesses for far less than they were worth, and others have given up their businesses to chase some scheme pitched by a siren. Don’t let someone like this make you forget that you and your business have something amazing to show the world.
2. The goat
Goats are those highly charismatic people with great conversation and an incredible knack for always getting their own way. These people have many strengths.
The problem is that they use their strengths in devious ways. Goats have little ambition beyond persuading others to make bad decisions. If you keep making wrong decisions every time you’re around a particular person, it’s time to send that person out of the business.
3. The elephant
An elephant never forgets. Elephants are those people in your business who never look ahead; they only dwell on the mistakes made in the past and never turn the page.
Don’t let an elephant stop you from looking ahead and achieving your goals. Everyone fails, especially entrepreneurs. If you’ve failed, it means you’ve learned. So stay the course and keep going.
4. The enemy
Enemies are people who want to be at the top but don’t want to work to get there. Instead, they use the people around them to do the work for them, so that it looks as if they’re at the top.
Enemies are losers, but in a strange way they can also be a source of motivation. Don’t keep enemies in your business; use them as a source of motivation to make your business as strong as possible.
5. The narcissist
Narcissists are talented people who are too wrapped up in themselves to make any kind of decision. They’re especially bad at making decisions with the whole team in mind.
A narcissist might even encourage you to put your company’s image ahead of its reputation. That’s always a bad idea.
When you’re starting a business, it’s best to be transparent and authentic. Don’t try to make things look bigger than they are, and avoid trying to be something you’re not. Keep narcissists away from the early days of the company, and stay focused on your reputation rather than your image.
6. The Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. Ares types love conflict. They’re addicted to drama and to winning at all costs, even when there’s nothing to win. Any time spent trying to correct, or even understand, an Ares is time wasted. It’s better to ignore these people and keep them out of the business altogether.
7. The Dionysus
Dionysus is the Greek god of wine, parties and pleasure. Dionysus types are pleasure-seekers who have very little patience when they don’t get instant gratification.
Be careful about letting this type of person into your business, because pleasure of any kind is addictive and takes up a lot of time. It’s important to have friends and have fun, but you should never sacrifice your startup to hours of partying and excess.
8. The black cat
Some people can join a business and take it to the top. Others join and kill it. Black cats are the latter. They’re the kind of people who seem to have a dark cloud hanging over them that follows them wherever they go.
These people are unlucky, negative and always down. Don’t feel bad for them. Chances are they like sitting on the bench. So let them rest, and make sure they’re sitting outside your business.
9. The big fish
Big fish are people who join your company only because they have money to put in. If these people are investors or venture capitalists, don’t let their money distract you from the fact that many of them only want to control your company and make money at your expense, contributing nothing but cash.
See also: The strange and surprising question this woman asks every candidate in a job interview
Be very careful about who you let become part of your company. Nobody works this hard only to see their company and their reputation in the hands of a big fish who always has the final say. Always keep control of your company’s shares for as long as you possibly can.
(See: Your big chance, or how to lose your business in just 8 minutes)
There was a recent case of an entrepreneur who sold his company for $50 million on his investors’ advice and didn’t see a single dollar from the sale, because none of it was due to him. The investors had come to control the entrepreneur’s business to the point that they were the only ones who benefited from the sale.
That’s why, when choosing a partner or investors for your business, we need to make very sure that those investors bring smart money, not just money.
Further reading
- 10 tips for choosing a business partner
- 10 reasons small businesses fail in their early days
- The 10 commandments for failing in business, guaranteed
Featured image: Siren Painter (eponymous vase), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
