Originally found at Forbes, by Shama Hyder.

When we think of entrepreneurs, we often think of one leader—the lone CEO, the idealistic founder, and so on.

But building a business isn’t a one-man job, even if you’re in the early stages. Perhaps, more formally, an early-stage business only has one employee (its founder), but even still, that person is surrounded by a network of a supportive community.

This image of entrepreneurship is, however, inconsistent with studies of successful startups. According to a study published in the Academy of Management, the most successful startups are made up of people with varied skillsets who have a shared passion and vision for the project.

Whether your company is in the beginning stages, or you’re working with a full-fledged staff, shared passion is the common denominator in successful businesses. Here’s what to look for when adding team members.

Continue reading the original article at Forbes.

Read an abstract of the original research in Academy of Management Proceedings.

Learn more about the AOM Scholars and explore their work:

• Eva De Mol, Free U. Amsterdam
• Svetlana Khapova, VU U. Amsterdam
• Bart A. de Jong, VU U. Amsterdam
• Tom Elfring, VU U. Amsterdam