Leadership…is Entrepreneurship a learned skill?
I was talking with one of mentors on the phone yesterday, I always get a week full of go-go juice after one of our chats. I was sharing with him something my class at Clemson had done that was very interesting. Their task was to find local examples of Hybrid Entrepreneurs in the area, and write a case study. To my surprise, they choose Serrus Capital Partners. They wrote a short case study and presented it to the rest of the class. It was fun seeing my students talk about one of my mentors.
As I was explaining this to Leighton, you could tell that not only was he humbled…but was having a hard time being put in the spot light. You see, a good leader likes to focus on their team and remove the focus from themselves. Leighton has built many companies, had many successes and many challenges…but at the end of the day, he gets up and keeps on swinging the bat. Why…because he is not afraid of “failure” or “challenges.” He looks at it as just another part of the process to achieve what he has set out to do. That is why he has continued to be successful to this day.
I am still trying to think through whether entrepreneurship is a learned skill, an ethic built into us, a language, or a passion. But Leighton said something yesterday that made me think just a bit…we as entrepreneurs succeed because we are surrounded by people who love us. At first, I thought that was just a simple feel good statement…but I sat back and thought about it for a bit. It makes perfect sense.
Entrepreneurs’ success is dependent upon the people around us and their support. Now, we will have plenty of people around us that find it in their best interest for us to “fail.” But the one’s who really love us…support us; they listen to our successes, they listen to our failures, and they encourage us to just swing that bat again.
On Wednesday, I was visiting my Grandfather who is 80. He is in the hospital again and is getting weaker by the day. My pop is another one of my mentors. He is an entrepreneur himself. He did not want to sit and talk about him, but wanted to hear about me? He wanted to know about business, who I had met, had I signed any new contracts, was I happy, and what scared me. This frail man who spent his whole life enjoying the successes of the “American Dream” of an “Entrepreneurial Experience,” was more interested in hearing from me. I still had so much to learn from him. In some way I think he wanted to feel like he was out an about chasing another deal and hanging out with his customers.
My grandfather believed in the customer. He was not a serial entrepreneur, he was a real estate man. He did not spend all of his time focusing on the properties, he spent his time getting to know his customers. He listened and he responded. He put the customer first. In his time away from the customer, he spent walking through tons on properties, memorizing each one. He was jealous of my iPad.
Leadership and Entrepreneurship is an undefined space. What I mean, each person has their own opinions. But that is what makes it so great, how we come to learn to become leaders and entrepreneurs…it is all about the people that love us!
By the way, both Leighton and my grandfather are real-estate men…interesting.
Here is a quote from my daily motivational that I thought I would share from Nancy Eichstadt of LMI. It is funny how this little motivational found it’s way into my In-Box this morning. Enjoy…
THE FUTURE IS A BIG ADVENTURE
Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.
The cards you’re dealt in life are less important
than the way you play them.
Every day you face a new deck and new cards.
Carve out a niche for yourself in your imagined future.
Begin immediately to think and feel yourself as successful.
To achieve your goal in life, you need to project your end result.
Focus on your future, not your past.
Prepare for your future, don’t live in the past.
Relish your good memories and use any bad ones as lessons in life.
Think of the elation, the satisfaction,
the joy you’ll feel when you’ve achieved your objective.
Carry these ecstatic feelings with you every day
and they will bring your desired goals into view.
Success is waiting for you.
Peter Drucker says that “Entrepreneurship is neither an art or a science. It is a practice.” Therefore, like any practice (medicine, law, finance) it can be learned.
Michael Gerber, author of the E-Myth, wrote that “the entrepreneur builds an enterprise; the technician builds a job.” An entrepreneur is willing to invest their own money and time into something that creates opportunity and/or provides a service to others.
There’s been an ongoing debate about whether leaders are born or made. Well, we’re all born, right? The difference is in what we do with what we have before we die. And, just as great artists, athletes, and musicians aren’t born with greatness, neither are leaders or entrepreneurs. However, all of these individuals are born with potential and all have acquired skills over time. So, leaders and entrepreneurs are born with potential and made through skill development.
Everyone is born with underlying traits, exposed to stimulus, and given opportunities within the environment that provide some individuals with a greater opportunity to succeed. For others, there is no question that people can develop into great leaders and entrepreneurs over time regardless of their background.
What counts is the ability to translate all your traits and skills into results. Anyone can call themselves an entrepreneur. The challenge is to be a successful entrepreneur!
Nancy…as always well stated. Your thoughts have given me an opportunity to to look at another point-of-view. I am going to have to let this soak in a bit. Thanks so much for stopping by and adding to the discussion! ~BR
Bobby that is such a nice article to be included in.
Steve Mudge, my partner and world class expert in real estate , and I discuss this topic often. You see we are closer to 60 years old than 50 and have been friends since we were 18 in freshman football at Clemson! We know that winning relationships are vital. People who you want to be around and have total integrity are great candidates to leverage your skills for victory. Steve is and always has been a total straight shooter. He is a dern rock for the truth. His track record is incredible!! We laugh about the guys we know from decades ago on those same teams with us that we wouldn’t trust tor a second today!! There character may have changed some;but not much!!! You don’t make these great partners to win with, you find them!
The other critical factor in this topic to me is not to get comfortable and surround yourself where you are the super star. Get people you like and respect!!! Gary Kirby ,who I coached in high school football and turned towards Clemson, ( he became student body president) is an absolutely gifted young man. His integrity,effort, people skills,attitude and skill sets are incredible. Gary is a total team player who will and can make anything happen. Do I love being around him? Of course; but he also lines us and “brings it” every day. You win surrounding yourself with winners.
We are going to announce our Board of Directors for Serrus Capital Partners next week. They will include the man who built the largest publicly traded bank in the history of South Carolina, a former General Electric CEO who reported directly to Jack Welch, and one of the highest ranked financial brokers in the country.
Steve and I as entrepreneurs know we wanted the highest quality and experienced team possible. And ,oh yeah, I love hanging out with any of them!!
Thanks again for saying something about us and your kindness. You Bobby are a gifted, giving, man of integrity and a blessing for a ton of people. I’m sure especially for that special grandfather. You have his heart.
~LC