Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

Are You an Innovator or Executor? Take This Quiz to Find Out. See if you have one or both of these critical business building skills and learn how to improve your scores.

By Michael Glauser

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Kelvin Murray | Getty Images

A traditional view of entrepreneurs is that they are creative individuals who tinker in garages, lack social skills and can't run anything. So when their innovation starts gaining traction, they need to bring in an MBA to run the company. Of course, this is not always true as many innovative entrepreneurs continue to run their own business successfully for years.

The important point is you need both innovation and execution skills in your organization. You have to continually create new products and services that meet real needs in the market and you have to be able to execute on your business concept. If you are strong on both of these skills you are in great shape to grow your company. If you are strong on one or the other, you may need a partner who has the skill set that you lack.

The quiz below will help you see if you are an innovator, executor or both. The six questions for each concept are characteristic of people who tend to have that orientation. If you answer "YES" to five of the six questions for either concept, you are fairly strong on that orientation. If you answer "YES" less than five times, you are not as strong on that concept.

Innovation.

  1. I like to provide leadership in unstructured situations. YES NO
  2. I try to do things differently than they have been done in the past. YES NO
  3. I like to re-define problems before working on solutions. YES NO
  4. I question existing assumptions when trying to solve problems. YES NO
  5. I like to discover new problems and find solutions. YES NO
  6. I like to be original, independent, and unconventional. YES NO

Execution.

  1. I like to exercise control in established organizational structures. YES NO
  2. I seek solutions to problems through tried and proven methods. YES NO
  3. I try to eliminate problems by improving efficiency and continuity. YES NO
  4. I prefer to solve existing problems rather than find new ones to address. YES NO
  5. I can maintain high accuracy in detailed work without getting bored. YES NO
  6. I like to be very methodical, precise, reliable and dependable. YES NO

In my book, "Main Street Entrepreneur", I feature dozens of remarkable entrepreneurs who have successful merged livelihood and lifestyle in places they want to live. While some of these have found team members to help with either innovation or execution, many have developed their skills in both areas. From meeting these business builders, I believe it is possible to enhance both innovation and execution skills. Here are some things you can do to make improvements.

Related: 10 Traits of the Most Innovative Entrepreneurs

Improving innovation.

Innovation is a process, not a natural gift. It requires spending a great deal of time in the field with your customers. See how they respond to your products. See how they respond to your competitors' products. Find out what they like and don't like about existing solutions being offered. Ask them to help you create better solutions to their problems and pain points. Find out how they would like various products designed and delivered. Including your customers in your product development strategy will enhance your ability to innovate. Again, innovation is a process, and the process can be learned.

Related: How to Build Innovation Into Your Business Without Creating Chaos

Improving execution.

Execution is all about setting and achieving goals that are critical to growing your business. Successful entrepreneurs set weekly, monthly and quarterly goals. The first step is to establish the critical goals you must achieve to move your business forward. The second step is to define the activities required to achieve each goal. For example, if your goal is to improve sales by 20 percent this quarter, important activities might include visiting existing customers to increase their orders, calling on 10 new customers each day and following up with each potential customer within three days. You will significantly improve your execution skills if you set critical goals regularly and complete activities important to achieving your goals.

Related: 4 Steps to Successful Execution of a Strategy

In sum, the ability to innovate and the ability to execute are both important to building a successful business. Continue to develop your skills in both areas, and as your business grows, bring in team members who can help you create new products and services, and set and achieve critical business objectives. Good luck building your company.

Michael Glauser

Executive Director of the Clark Center for Entrepreneurship at Utah State University

Michael Glauser is an entrepreneur, business consultant, and university professor. He has built successful companies in the retail, wholesale, and consulting industries. He has worked with hundreds of startup ventures and large corporations. He is currently the Executive Director of the Jeffrey D. Clark Center for Entrepreneurship in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. He is also the co-founder and CEO of My New Enterprise, an online training, and development company. Mike’s great passion is helping people create successful companies, gain financial freedom, and live the life of their dreams. Learn more about Mike at www.mikeglauser.com.

Mike is the author of Main Street Entrepreneur (Entrepreneur Press 2016). Visit www.TheMainStreetEntrepreneur.com for more information.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Thought Leaders

These 3 Trends Will Change What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur in 2025

Here are three entrepreneurship trends from the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report that are changing the landscape for the future.

Side Hustle

I Made $14,000 in 1 Week With a Spontaneous Halloween Costume Side Hustle — Here's How

Sabba Keynejad was in art school when he started to refine his entrepreneurial skills.

Social Media

Stop Chasing Algorithms — Here's How Creators Can Take Control of Their Content and Monetize on Their Own Terms

Social media platforms promise creators visibility, but the real challenge lies in relying on algorithms for income.