Thoughts on Thoughts:
When discussing the differences between the True Entrepreneur and the Good Leader, the knowledge I base most everything on is primarily personal experience and secondarily considerable research. Application, hands on experience, was far and away the dominant way I learned. Although I gave considerable time and effort to reading established thinkers on both subjects and those in ways connected like History, Religion, Philosophy, Psychology and more. This resulted in boxes upon boxes of notes to support my thirst to know and understand. Regardless, it was the hands on work I did with people over many years that taught me the most and proved the most reliable. I know that nothing ever beat face to face interaction and genuine dialogue. Interestingly, I developed a deeper appreciation of people as did my coworkers and students.
The authors I read may have been giants in their field, but if their theories and thoughts did not work when and where I worked I changed it to work or erased it. In other words I was responsible for what I did and said with people. What and who I was and believed is what I taught. It was me being me and not a warmed over Plato or Maslow. This was graphically pointed out to me during a lecture to a group of therapists. During a brief break one of them came to me and said “why give credit to others when what you are saying and doing is you?” Took a while to appreciate that being me was what I most needed to be. It is the message I carry to this day. “Be myself, there is nothing better I have to give.”
Today I know that when I lived my life as an entrepreneur I was definitely focused on the task at hand, no mountain or wall held me back. I also know I was an imperfect entrepreneur. I knew what I wanted, but never understood the vital importance of having the necessary resources. Having too little money never stopped me and this was a weakness I carried with me for years. The True Entrepreneur will have the necessary funds, or get them. That’s a part of their picture and is what helps makes them True Entrepreneurs. I forged ahead without proper funding and it had to influence what I did create. The penalty I paid was the energy it took to overcome this lack of resources.
Regardless of the lack of funding what I created had to be led. Where to find the leader to lead others is no small problem. It was easier to take this position than to find another since I best understood my philosophy. I know it took people experiences to help me grow this philosophy. I was it, but needed to recruit others to learn and apply it. It helped that I love teaching what I believe and know. This made it possible to share with others and to guide them in the art of leading others into better relationships. In the process I set aside my entrepreneurial spirit. Being both, and successful at each, seems an impossible task, and in fact may be?
Leadership demands that the leader be the example and not the unique star. This is difficult at best since people tend to remain what they are successful at. Entrepreneurship is challenging, exciting, fulfilling to be sure, and power is important. Leadership, on the other hand, is a grind since it is all about being therole model, responsible and real at all times. It is not about one’s ego-centric self. It is not an act. And good leaders do not need and use power over others. In fact, Good Leaders empower others to be themselves.
The entrepreneur———–Different from leader————Both so essential. Sy
