You've probably seen the bumper stickers that say "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way." While the bumper sticker may be directed at the dreamer doing 10 miles less than the speed limit in the left lane, it also applies to everyone's life. Most people are followers, but others are leaders. They want to be at the helm of their own ship, charting the course that their lives will take.

They are most likely ENTREPRENEURS - people who have what it takes to start and succeed at their own businesses.

What qualities are the true tokens of successful entrepreneurs? Thousands of books and articles have been written on the subject. There is even a Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneur's Soul and an annual event called "Entrepalooza" at the University of Michigan, where successful business owners relate their secrets. It turns out, though, that just about everyone who takes on the challenge of owning their own business has certain qualities.

1. They have a dream. It can be anything from wanting to make a living from a hobby to wanting to find a way to spend more time with their families. Along with their dreams comes the foresight to see a need for something or a problem that needs solving, and finding a way to supply that need or solve that problem. Instead of saying, "Someone will probably invent a way to make a profit from that," the entrepreneur says, "I'M going to be the one who finds a way to make a profit from that."

2. They visualize success. Lots of us have thoughts and ideas of how we'd like our lives to change. We say, "If only I could find a decent job," or "If only I could lose 20 pounds." Entrepreneurs don't just think about it. They see it. They spend a great deal of time "seeing success." If the goal is to spend more time with family, the entrepreneur sees himself or herself working at home, hears one of the children say "Mom, I'm so glad you don't go away to work anymore," and feels what reaching the goal is like. This "positive thinking" technique has been around for a long time-and it still works. It helps create faith in yourself, and that is a prerequisite for anyone even thinking about starting a business. They never stop using this visualization process: It keeps goals shining brightly, and for the entrepreneur, there are always new goals to reach for.

3. They're good listeners and observers. Aki Morita, who founded Sony, got the idea for the infamous Sony Walkman when he got tired of listening to teenagers blasting music from their boom-boxes. He knew he wasn't the only one bothered by the noise. By listening to what people are saying and observing what they're doing (or not doing), the entrepreneur identifies what people want. Lots of people.

They also listen to advice. While it's great to have people cheering you on, entrepreneurs find a wealth of knowledge in the doom-and-gloomers. They present the possible downsides, providing the business owner with some new ideas to think about as