Turmoil and tragedy in the entrepreneurial DNA.

From World Changers by John A. Byrne. Copyright [c]2011 by the author. Published by Portfolio/Penguin (www.penguin.com).

AN OFTEN COMMON though little noticed trait among many of the most successful entrepreneurs is personal tragedy. Carlos Nuzman, the Olympian volleyball player who Helped bring the Olympics to his home country or Brazil, lost his mother at the age of ten. Oprah Winfrey was sexually abused from the age of nine to thirteen. Ted Turner's father crawled into his bathtub and shot himself dead when Turner was 24 years of age. Steve Jobs was unwanted by his parents and given up for adoption at birth. Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus were unceremoniously fired.

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It is as if their singular pursuit of achievement was a refuge from the pain of some tragic loss. "They have often faced adversity and have shown an ability to survive and thrive," says Maria Pinelli, global vice chair of strategic growth markets at Ernst & Young. "There's this desire to overcome every obstacle. It comes from their belief in themselves, but so many of these entrepreneurs have in common this fundamental adversity. If there is turmoil in their lives, there seems to be a vision to move far beyond it."

John A. Byrne is the founder of C-Change Media and is the author or co-author of eight previous books, including Jack: Straight from the Gat with Jack Welch.