4. Freedom To Be
Like a bird navigating the open skies or the fish floating through the infinite oceans, the entrepreneur seeks the freedom to set his own course. He does not like to be told what to do. This is not to say that entrepreneurs dont listen in fact, they are perhaps the best synthesisers of opinions. But they like to drive out on their own. Theirs is a mindset which seeks independence.
Part of the reason for this freedom comes because entrepreneurs find themselves at odds with much of the world. This orthogonalilty comes because they are out to change the status quo. This pits them against most of the world which doesnt like its cheese to be moved. Entrepreneurs, therefore, want freedom not just from the world of today, but also from the thinking that inhibits innovation and encourages conformance.
5. Life = Work, Work = Life
I was reading the introduction to a new book by Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas entitled Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values and Defining Moments Shape Leaders. Says Thomas about the men and women who practised leading every moment of the day: They recognized no distinction between work and life. They were the same people on the job and off. They used every situation they encountered as a practice field and they mined every experience for insight about themselves and the people and the world around them. Leading is not only what they did, it was who they were.
Replace they by entrepreneurs, and read it again. That is what entrepreneurs are: there is no boundary between any of their lives, there is a single unified life. Work is a continuum. Learning never stops. Thinking is concomitant with breathing. Others may try and tell them how work needs to be left at the office when one comes home. Entrepreneurs may listen, but are incapable of acting upon it. What they do envelops their life and by consequence, those around them. This is the only life they know to live.
6. Passion for People
Entrepreneurs may think of themselves as Gods Gift to the World, but very soon they understand that if they want to realise their vision, then they better start loving people. Whether it is at work or in conferences, entrepreneurs tend to have a special way with people. It comes from inner infectious enthusiasm which is evident in all that they do. Not for them the cool confines of a closed cabin. They want to be with their troops, leading from the front, fighting from the trenches. Being with people within the company or outside brings out the best in them.
For entrepreneurs, people are also a natural sounding board for their ideas. Just the process of talking to others helps entrepreneurs fine-tune their thinking and ideas. By bringing their passion to bear in their talk and work, entrepreneurs elicit feedback and comments from others, which helps embellish their view of the world.
Tomorrow: The Entrepreneurs Delights (continued)
