This morning, I looked at a recent test result with a strange feeling (Find Out Which Entrepreneurial Type You Are!). Based on one participant’s answers: 50% sanguine, 50% phlegmatic. At first glance, this might seem like just an interesting combination. But my internal alarm bells immediately went off.
Of course, we all operate with complex personalities, but these two types live, decide, and react at such different rhythms that they practically never appear together in this proportion. (Spoiler: they really never do.)
In the world of self-awareness, I often encounter how easy it is to “paint ourselves prettier,” especially when we feel we need to meet some expectation. This is completely human—and there’s no need to be ashamed of it. But as an entrepreneur, it’s important to recognize that false self-awareness doesn’t protect us in the long run—it hinders us.
You don’t need to be a psychologist to understand: many people simply don’t dare to embrace themselves. And in business, this always comes back to haunt you.
Many People Choose Who They Want to Be as Entrepreneurs
And not who they actually are right now. This is completely understandable. Expectations come from every direction: be dynamic, but not too much; be brave, but don’t seem aggressive; be organized, but stay creative too.
In these moments, the test—which was originally meant to be a mirror—easily becomes a shop window photo.
Entrepreneurial Self-Awareness Is One of the Foundations of Business Success
If you don’t see clearly what personality traits and operating patterns drive you, it’s difficult to plan realistically, make decisions, or even just maintain your own rhythm.
The purpose of the test isn’t to slap labels on you. It’s not to put you in a box, but to point you in a direction: where it’s worth building on yourself, and where it’s better to ask for help or outsource.
And here’s the key point: if you’re not honest with yourself, you’re not fooling me—you’re fooling yourself.
This is the paradox of entrepreneurial self-awareness: the more you want to meet some external image, the less you’re able to create a business system that actually works for you.
If You Don’t Fill Out the Test According to Your Real Functioning, You Won’t Get Real Results
As an entrepreneur, this is a serious loss.
You don’t see your own functioning clearly. It doesn’t become clear which areas you’re truly strong in, and where you would need support. This is when the blockages come, the internal tensions, the “something’s not right” feeling—because you’re not walking your own path, but that of an imagined version.
This is a sign that you’re drawing a prettier picture of yourself rather than facing your real functioning. But this choice costs a lot in the long run.
Why Is It a Problem If You Don’t Recognize Your Real Functioning?
Because when you don’t understand how you operate, you see your natural character traits—which would actually be resources—as flaws. And that’s where the downward spiral begins.
When you misunderstand your own functioning, you not only draw wrong conclusions about yourself, but you also make wrong decisions. You try to “fix” yourself in areas where you should actually be building, and you struggle in places where you should seek support or outsourcing instead. As an entrepreneur, this has catastrophic consequences.
🧡 The Sanguine Who Doesn’t Understand Themselves
Let’s take the sanguine entrepreneur.
The sanguine is inherently scattered, has difficulty maintaining focus for long periods—after about 15 minutes, their thoughts are already elsewhere. This isn’t a “flaw,” it’s how they function.
But what happens if they don’t understand this about themselves?
They start drawing wrong conclusions: “I’m not good enough. Others can concentrate for hours, only I can’t. There’s something wrong with me.”
They try to work like a melancholic or choleric, and of course, they continuously experience failure. They give up on projects when they hit obstacles, because they believe they’re unsuited to complete the task.
The reality? If they understood their own functioning, they would know: They need short, intense work blocks. 15–20 minute sprints, with breaks or task switching in between. Deep immersion isn’t their strength, but connection, brainstorming, creative solutions are. They’re the ones who start things—not the ones who carry them through alone.
If they recognized this, they could build a system and team that complements them.
But if they don’t understand their own functioning, they’ll spend years anxious, blaming themselves, and experiencing tasks as failures again and again—this leads to depression and burnout.
💙 The Melancholic Who Doesn’t Recognize Themselves
Let’s look at the melancholic entrepreneur. They can immerse themselves in details for hours, even days. This is their superpower: precision, quality, finely polished work.
But what happens if they don’t understand this functioning?
What would be an advantage easily turns into overwhelm. They sink into endless perfectionism, where nothing is ever good enough. They get lost in the details and can’t see their way out. Paralysis sets in: they can’t close things out because there’s always another little thing they “must” fix.
And since they don’t understand that this is their natural functioning, they come to a single conclusion: “I’m not at the point yet where I can release this.”
They can’t let go of the project because in their mind, “done” arrives much later than for others.
If they understood themselves, they would know:
They need deadlines and external structure to help them close things out. They need to consciously decide: what level of quality is good enough, and what is already perfectionism. They’re the ones who bring quality, but someone needs to help them with priorities and the big picture.
But if they don’t know this?
They burn out. They withdraw. And meanwhile, they do beautiful work that no one will see, because they never allow others to see it, since it’s only finished when it’s perfect.
🔴 The Choleric Who Doesn’t Understand Their Limits
The choleric entrepreneur is goal-oriented, decisive, a quick decision-maker. In their mind, they see through a project in moments: if this happens, then that will be the consequence, the other party will react this way, and from this, this step follows. That’s why they’re a genius project manager—because they see the process from beginning to end.
But what happens if they don’t understand this functioning?
They steamroll over people. They become impatient, want to control everything. They don’t understand why others don’t decide as quickly as they do, and this makes them frustrated, irritable, drawn into conflict situations—in both business and personal life.
And they don’t just push others too hard—they push themselves too hard.
Everything comes together quickly in their mind, so they think implementation should happen at this pace too. But tasks don’t get solved in a snap. Execution is slower, more detailed, consists of more steps—and the choleric has a hard time with this. If they don’t understand their own limits, they keep spinning until they simply run out of energy. The choleric doesn’t slow down on their own—only when it’s too late.
💚 The Phlegmatic Who Doesn’t Know Their Value
The phlegmatic entrepreneur is calm, stable, balanced. They’re the one who can create harmony around themselves, who thinks long-term, and who doesn’t scatter their own or others’ energy.
But what happens if they don’t understand this functioning?
Starting is a conflict for them, and the phlegmatic hates conflicts. For them, conflict means: stepping out of their usual rhythm, out of peace, out of comfort. And if they have to choose between peace and progress, they instinctively choose peace.
Others easily see this as laziness. They only feel that “I’m not ready yet.”
They need to think through the task in their head first before taking any step.
That’s why they procrastinate. They need time for the picture to come together internally. And yes… it can happen that a year later they’re still in the same place, because for them, starting would mean tension—and they avoid this at all costs, even if they only have to face themselves.
Yet they could be the one who builds stable foundations, who retains clients, who runs the business long-term. They just don’t see this, because the market celebrates the fast, the loud, the spectacular—not those who build quietly, consistently.
What’s Common in These Stories?
That if you don’t understand your own functioning, you completely misunderstand yourself.
You think you’re weak where you would actually be strong. You see as a flaw what is your natural rhythm. You’re constantly fighting with who you are—instead of finally starting to use the strength that’s within you. And this doesn’t just create frustration.
It leads to experiences of failure, loss of self-confidence, and ultimately burnout.
Honesty with Yourself Is the First and Most Important Step
If you want to achieve real results in your business, there’s no shortcut: you need to understand how you actually function.
Many are afraid that their real self might not be strong enough, not “entrepreneurial” enough, or doesn’t fit into the image the market calls successful. This is the fear that causes many to mask themselves, show an idealized version of themselves—sometimes even to themselves.
Yet the key to success is authenticity and self-identity.
When you dare to embrace who you are, that’s when you can truly flourish. That’s when you can build a business that reflects your values, rhythm, and strengths—not a made-up role.
It’s not about changing yourself. It’s about understanding yourself—and building accordingly. The key to success is authenticity and self-identity.
When you dare to embrace who you are, that’s when you can truly flourish and build a business that reflects your values and strengths.
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