Entrepreneurs are often associated with a ruthless streak to maximize profits. However, a serial entrepreneur has confirmed that contrary to such perception, it is in fact missionaries and not mercenaries who succeed over a period of time. The difference between missionaries and mercenaries is simply in their value and belief systems. For the latter, it is the sales pitch or the deal that is most important but for the former, corporate strategy and long term growth is most critical. Mercenaries live by a certain sense of entitlement due to being founders at certain organizations, while missionaries are open to ideas from across the organization. SOL Cleaning Service and DPR Construction for example have revolutionized their industries due to the value deriving from their founders.

Source: https://hbr.org/2016/04/what-separates-high-impact-entrepreneurs-from-those-who-dont-make-a-big-difference