Confidence, decisiveness and focus are all well-acknowledged traits of a successful entrepreneur. But what traits are equally as important, but often undervalued? We asked Amy Castronova, President and CEO of Novatek Communications, Inc. and EO Western New York member, what she felt to be a winning characteristic that’s often overlooked. Here’s what she has to say:

“A trait most commonly associated with women, and often portrayed as limiting in a business environment, is an entrepreneur’s nurturing nature. I would argue this is an under-valued trait in entrepreneurship, as a whole. Speaking from personal experience, my nurturing instincts have created compromises in negotiations that others deemed unbelievable, by quickly identifying the other party’s highest priority and creating a way to make it happen. They have also allowed me to identify tensions and address concerns before they turned into catastrophic problems.”

“Nurturing others’ aspirations positively impacts retention by showing our employees that we care about their well-being, goals, and dreams. We also show clients our authentic desire to help. Being nurturing doesn’t mean entrepreneurs, male and female, are not strong and decisive. In fact, businesspeople that are both decisive and nurturing have an advantage – they anticipate a decision’s impact on all stakeholders and proactively manage it, so everyone feels understood.”

What do you think are the most undervalued traits of successful entrepreneurs? Respond to this post in the comments section, or on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and your reply could be featured on EO’s Twitter account! Remember to tag Entrepreneurs’ Organization, and include the hash tag #WOMENtrepreneurs.