The Sunday Mail
Entrepreneurship Matters
Dr Kudzanai Vere
Entrepreneurs are known for leading in their spheres. Their innovations, creativity, unique abilities and capabilities make them outstanding.
It is imperative for entrepreneurs to embrace certain leadership essentials as they lead their organisations and all the spaces that they find themselves occupying.
You will find out that, leadership skills are demanded in all organisations regardless of one’s position or responsibility, but with entrepreneurs they are non-negotiable attributes.
I recall being appointed a branch manager of one of the largest wholesalers in Zimbabwe at the age of 22 in 2003. It was a very young age for the position, but the leadership in me had been identified for the task.
In entrepreneurship, business and workplace in particular, there are certain leadership essentials that one needs to exhibit and these are discussed below.
Think like a leader
“Five percent of the people think; 10 percent of the people think they think; and the other 85 percent would rather die than think.” — Thomas A. Edison.
Leaders are great thinkers. They don’t just speak. Leaders think through facts before announcing them. They go through these in their minds and do an impact assessment before speaking out. That’s leadership.
Thomas Edison spoke of the 5 percent who actually think. This minority represents true leaders. Some think they think, but their thinking doesn’t change anything at all.
If you think and fail to act on your thoughts, let alone speak out, then you’re as good as not having thought about anything at all. Leaders think of solutions and eventually put them to use.
Speak your mind
“Talking is still cheap. You need to express yourself, speak your mind, say what you mean, and mean what you said.” — Nurudeen Ushawu
Most successful companies attained such level because they had leaders who didn’t just talk, but were good at expressing themselves in such a way that their teams could understand and align with their words.
They do not say one thing and do another. Great leaders speak their minds. I know of businesspersons who failed on this aspect of speaking their minds. They left everything to chance and chance took over. People will only know your mind when you speak out.
Communicate effectively
“To effectively communicate, we must realise that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” — Anthony Robbins.
In most cases, we don’t get the correct or desired results at workplaces due to ineffective communication. In communication, you have to be aware of the audience before you, as well as their perceptions and attitudes towards certain information. Leaders don’t just speak anyhow.
Business is anchored by effective communication. Fail on communication then you have failed in business. Everything in business stems out of communication. You cannot have employees without effective communication, neither can you have stocks without having communicated effectively.
The ability to communicate effectively is key for a leader. It sets him/her apart from the masses.
Question things
“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.” — Voltaire.
To be a great leader, you need to be inquisitive. It is the quality of questions that you ask, that determine the quality of answers that you get, so the locknut is in the questioning ingenuity.
As a businessperson, do not just move around with a shut mind. Great business discoveries came out of quality questions. Why doesn’t the city have electricity? There is erratic water supply, so what is the way forward?
Most people in this current environment of the coronavirus will require face masks. Where can we get them cheap or can’t we design a cheaper version of them? It is not business as usual. What might have caused this?
You get to your workplace and see people doing as they wish and you keep quiet. That’s poor leadership. Leaders are known for asking questions, and plenty of them.
Make things happen
“There are three kinds of people in this world: people who make it happen, people who watch what happens, and people who wonder what happened.” — Tommy Lasorda.
At work, those who make things happen are the game changers. These possess the much needed skills in business as well as the ability to convert thoughts into action. Great leaders are known for making things happen. Just scan the marketplace in which you operate. There are some who are going out there to really make things happen, while others wonder how they are happening. We might even have another group that asks what’s happening. To succeed in business, you just have to make things happen.
Learn from others
“Always keep an open mind and listen to what those around you have to say about you. You might actually learn something that may help you become a better person.” — Auliq Ice.
No one has a monopoly over knowledge. We learn almost every day. In order for you to be an effective leader, you need to learn from others. Appreciate other’s work and you’re guaranteed of becoming the best version of yourself.
It is clear from creation that we have to learn more from others by the ratio of our ears versus mouth, two to one. In other words, we have to listen (learn) twice as much as we speak.
That is the order of business, always learn from others and make sure that you implement uniquely.
Exhibit your expertise
“True expertise is the most potent form of authority.” — Victoria Bond.
As a leader, you don’t even need to coerce people into following you. Your expertise should do everything. You just need to do what you’re good at and everyone else will look up to you. Just exhibit your expertise and that will make the necessary noise. In business, we don’t talk too much, but make things happen. That is what makes the difference.
Know your limits
“Everyone has the fire, but the champions know when to ignite the spark.” — Amit Ray.
Leadership is self-control. Know when to fire and when to withhold, what to do and what not to do. That’s leadership. You just have to know your limits. Being a leader doesn’t mean that you can do anything you want to anyone. At times you have to play it safe. Even as you get on with your business, the knowledge of limits is so fundamental. There are some things that you can do but are not permissible as they will land you in trouble.
Every industry has its own set of regulations that guides it and must be adhered to. For example, you cannot overcharge on subsidised maize meal. You just have to be within the prescribed price limits. These are the eight essentials for leadership that entrepreneurs and business leaders must embrace.
The writer, Dr Kudzanai Vere is the founder of Kudfort, Tengesa Online, Premium Business Network International and the Institute of Entrepreneurs Zimbabwe is an entrepreneur, author and transformational speaker in the areas of entrepreneurship and personal development. Dr Vere has trained more than 5 000 entrepreneurs globally in the areas of innovation, organisation development, practical business management and ideation. You can contact him on +263719592232 or email [email protected]
