Personality and Attitude Are As Important As Skill

When building an investment team from the ground up, it’s important to focus on getting the right people. Normally, you should be able to find lawyers, accountants, and staff members who have the right skills and competencies. For me, however, skill shouldn’t be the only thing to look for in a person. Personality and attitude are also essential in finding someone who can make a difference in your business.

There’s always a tendency for people to put more focus on what applicants can do. Having the right knowledge, expertise, and know-how is always essential, especially if you’re planning to establish a strong foundation for a business. However, along with the right set of skills, applicants will also a great personality in order to support what they do. After all, your knowledge about SEC policies won’t amount to anything if you have too much of a laid back personality.

But what are the traits you should look for in a potential member of your investing team? Let’s look at some of them.

1. Passionate

Passion is what motivates individuals to become better at what they do. It also enables them to work harder not because they could get rewarded for it, but because they just wanted to do a better job than everyone else.

When you focus more on the work than on the rewards you could get afterward, the quality of the output is higher. So, get passionate people in your team and you won’t have to worry about quality knowing that your business is in safe hands.

2. Independent

In real estate investing, much of the tasks that the members of your investing team involve a great deal of independence to handle. It’s fine if you’re more of a hands-on boss, but if you really want to make an impact on your business, it’s always best to allow a certain degree of freedom.

Your accountants and property managers can do a great job on their own, that is if they are more effective working on their own terms. When you are hunting for prospects for your investing team, you may want to find people who can work independently.

3. Respectful

Our attitude reflects the quality of work we put into a project. So, if you lack positive traits, the negativity will manifest in the work you are producing. For instance, if you lack a sense of respect for other people, you will only be doing work that’s done with less care and competence.

Respect goes a long way. When you respect other people, you are showing them your enthusiasm and your desire to form really great relationships with them. A person who shows you respect and understands where you’re coming from is definitely a keeper.

4. Persistent

Lastly, as you sift through applications and job offers, you may want to find someone with a proven track record in his or her field. A string of accomplishments can tell you a lot about the skills of a potential member for your investing team, but it is also important if he or she has a tenacious drive to finish a task in time.

During the interview, give applicants a series of scenarios and ask about how they’re going to handle them. Of course, anyone can say something along the lines of “I’ll try to find a way out of the situation.” A truly persistent individual will exhaust all possible means to solve a problem. If the person provides you a strategy and not just a band-aid solution, then you may find someone who’s the right fit for your business.

A positive personality is an advantage not only in business but in life as well. So, if you want your investing team to be successful, make sure you find people who are not only winners in their professions, but also winners in life.