Mastering the Art of Entrepreneurial Leadership

Leaders deal in ideas.  They also deal in ideals.

The more relevant and significant the ideas may be, the greater and the more substantial are the opportunities and the challenges and the need for leaders to create the ideals only once merely imagined.

Successful entrepreneurial leaders create a compelling vision of where the organization should head.

They also continuously communicate how to proceed, and energetically guide and encourage the development of the organization’s capabilities to advance that vision in a relentless and resolute pursuit of sustained success.

Unshakable will, undaunted determination and relentless pursuit of desires and goals are key hallmarks of  all truly great entrepreneurial endeavors.

All truly great leaders are marked not only with an exceptional sense of self-confidence, which is manifest on the surface and thereby encourages and stimulates others, but also with a sense that penetrates deep into the subconscious of a leader, and there from permeates all that such a one may be, or does.  I do not think that it is possible to overstate the power of such a type of conscious and subconscious self-confidence.

Entrepreneurial success, like success in any pursuit, is more about the consummate understanding and mastery of key principles and less about following rules.

A rule states, “You must do it this way.”

A principle says, “This works – and usually works well – and has done so through all remembered time.

The difference is crucial.

The anxious, the cautious and the lesser experienced may, quite rightly, try to follow rules; the seemingly rebellious, unschooled and ignorant may break rules – sometimes unwittingly so.  Moreover, all of these types of practitioners may try to succeed focusing upon only subsets of situations without realizing how all of the forces at work interact in both conflicting and supporting ways.

But the master of an art, any art, develops mastery over the form of the art using time tested and time proven principles.  The master is guided by proper principles.  And, the master well understands the wisdom of the principles he so faithfully and assiduously practices.  Mastery of their important art should be the ideal of every entrepreneur.  However, there can be little doubt that the habit of command of situations, and the leadership of persons, makes it easier and more natural to become better able to bear the responsibilities of leadership, and to fulfill the duties of decision-making which are essential to leadership.  So, leaders are learners, who learn by leading.  Yet, while leaders learn forward, they tend to understand leadership backwards.

Some of the ablest leaders known to history have been those who have arisen in times of crises and grave dangers.  Such leaders had a boundlessness of courage and conviction.  These were matched by their self-confidence, sound judgment and sense of discernment.  To them, the impulses to power seemed to be indubitably righteous and noble.  Such leaders cared little, if at all, for the rewards of power – such as luxury and ease – which cannot be harmonized with their clear-sighted and totally committed identification with their views of the cosmic purpose to which they were willing to “pay the price,” no matter how demanding or risky.  Thus, it is a combination of great faith, stirred by abiding hope, and supported by powerful abilities and strength of character which enables leaders to inspire their followers with the degree of confidence in their leadership which enables them to collectively “Seize the Day” and capitalize on the opportunities mutually sought.

But, beyond these immense and exceptional faculties, great leaders always seek to develop very great skills in their disciples.  They are also disciplined and knowledgeable persons.  They well know how to do what they are trying to do.  They are at once as efficient as they are effective.  They do the right things, and they do those things rightly.  The greater challenges they face, the more elevated and magnificent become their responses.  There is simply no mountain too high, or too dangerous, which they cannot seem to be able and willing to scale.  These are spectacular gifts when they are all graced in a single leader.  And, such magnificent powers energize the leader, and the leader’s followers.  This Principle of Power is to leaders what the Principle of Energy is to Physics.  Both Power and Energy are transformative.  Thus, they transform themselves, while they transform their followers, and together with their followers they transform their world as well.

Leadership is relative.  It is not absolute nor does it seek to be so.  But, leadership is also relevant.  To acquire the position of a leader, one must excel in the qualities that confer authority.  Many, if not most, of these have just been noted.  Summarized, these might be:

• A keen sense of purpose, or mission
• Self-confidence and courage
• Skills in the necessary disciplines
• Astute decision-making in taking right measures at the right time
• An ability to communicate or transmit their vision.

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