It’s easy to believe that everybody in business is entrepreneurial when in fact a great number of people are simply self-employed. For one reason or another, they are no longer employed by somebody else, so they employ themselves. They are earning a living.
However there is a big difference between somebody that demonstrates a mindset of being entrepreneurial and someone with an employee mentality. The entrepreneur takes risks and apply themselves, even when they are fearful. They are tenacious and if something doesn’t work they will find a way. They are good networkers.
The entrepreneur prefers to play it safe, whatever that means nowadays and simply refuse to step out or ever stretch their comfort zone.
They both share the present economic challenges but one doesn’t let it affect his/her judgement. They don’t complain or promote negative thoughts or speech.
They don’t buy into the negativity contained in the news and newspapers or indeed for what they can’t do. Instead they takes responsibility and gets on with what they can do.
The employee almost always sees why something can’t be done. They buy into the negative thoughts of others and seek solace from their peers by sharing their negative thoughts. Somehow they think they will feel better if they can get other people to agree that the economy is tough and life is hard.
Eventually, they surround themselves with people who think and talk negatively – just like them. And this becomes their reality.
The employee mentality waits for things to happen whereas the entrepreneur makes things happen. The employee needs to be told what to do (and may even do it, after a short argument about why it needs to be done) whereas the entrepreneur gets on with it.
The employee recognises that they want a different outcome from the one that they have but they’re not prepared to do anything different to get it. The entrepreneur recognises that if they carry on doing what we’ve been doing, they will carry on getting what we getting so they stretch their comfort zone and do whatever it takes.
They take personal responsibility for bringing change, however painful, into their lives.
The challenge and the question is how much time does one spend trying to change an inbred mentality? Perhaps it’s easier to decide what a real entrepreneur looks like and seek them out instead.
There really isn’t anything wrong with having an employee mentality if somebody’s been employed all their life is a big change to make. Some people are meant to live their lives as employees. What is wrong is that we don’t recognise the challenges they face in moving from one mindset to another.
For these differences it is always going to be easier to work with people who were previously run a business or are able, at interview, to convince you that they have been able to demonstrate initiative and responsibility in some aspect of their life. They are enthusiastic, motivated and positive.
For my part, I believe everybody has what it takes but that most people are not willing to change.