Entrepreneurship, Leadership and feeling Important.

When I was younger (everyday it feels like it was further and further ago) I thought being an entrepreneur meant you had your own business and that you had all sorts of money to back it up. The more and more I learned about the “entrepreneurial spirit” – the more I realized we can all be entrepreneurs. How is that? We all don’t have the time or the money to go into business for ourselves. Understood. I don’t either - not right now. There was a time that I did partake in a family business (making cookies!)– but that is a whole other story.
So, what is the deal? The way I see it, no matter where I work, or what I do, I work for myself: Fernando, Inc. Why? Having this ownership and responsibility of my “services” makes the subconscious believe in a greater good than “working for someone else”. Furthermore, working for one’s self is, in a way, part of the leadership attributes people seek anyway. You’ve taken charge of your own life and are capable of seeing the big picture. Just need to widen the view from yourself and include those around you. I am by no means a “sales person” – but we are all “salesmen” in some way or another. Think about it: Whenever you interview for a job, you are trying to sell your services (Your name Here, Inc.). That is right, providing service and support to all of those that will be working toward the common corporate goal. After all, to lead is to serve. No?

Lastly, feeling important. Why do we all have an inherent need to feel important? – that we make a difference, and are recognized for it. I can’t answer this question in full, as it has many psychological implications that I cannot cover. However, what I can tell you is that growing up as a child, I wanted to be the “winner” at everything. Most importantly, I wanted to have our parents’ attention and have the comfort of knowing that I was the center of their universe. I’m pretty sure I was not the only child to feel this way. The more and more I talk to people about their childhoods, the more I realize this was a “universal feeling”, and it may be something we never really out-grow. In competitions, we want to be the one with the trophy, the medal or award for our dedication. At work, we want to feel recognized through raises, promotions, a nicer office, etc. that we made a positive impact on the business and that things would not be the same without us. Think about this: if this need of feeling important isn’t met, everything falls apart. It is the reason for being defiant in our youth (tantrums as children) and why we are rude as adults. Unfortunately, we do whatever it takes to get attention – even if it’s not positive or productive. I will cover this topic in more detail in a future Blog.