Institutionalize Entrepreneurship in your Organization - BY Strive Masiyiwa

 

 

It is not possible for an organization to grow big, on the ideas of one person. Even if that person is a brilliant entrepreneur.
Once, you as the "founding" entrepreneur have managed to start a business, and it is growing. One of your most important tasks, if you want the business to continue to grow, even for decades or more, and certainly when you have retired, or even died; you must institutionalize a culture of entrepreneurship. And this starts with the ability to identify and recruit entrepreneurs....and also hold on to them.
Let me tell you a secret:
The most important people in any organization, are the entrepreneurs, also known as "intra preneurs". Some of them are senior executives, some are senior managers, some are top engineers, some are supervisors, some are factory workers, some even sweepers!

"Oh, how I wish all the people that ever work for me, were all entrepreneurs!"
Take a company, like Toyota, GE, or IBM. The founders are long gone, and yet these giant companies can create new innovations, start new businesses. They can identify new opportunities... They can do everything, an entrepreneur can do; but they do it institutionally.
Every year they register thousands of patents, and develop new ventures.
If you ever get a chance to read the stories of great business leaders like Jack Welch, and Ann Fudge, you realize that they were amazing entrepreneurs, and yet they did not own the businesses they were running. Being an entrepreneur, at its best, is a way of thinking.
To be continued...

Work as an Entrepreneur, in your job. - By Strive Masiyiwa

 



Strive Masiyiwa - Chairman and Founder Econet Group has this to say on how to work in an organization.


Work as an Entrepreneur, in your job. (Part 1)
"Oh, how I wish all God's people were entrepreneurs!"
....
A young man asked me once, "when did you first become an entrepreneur?" And was quite surprised by my reply:
"I have been an entrepreneur, for as long as I can remember."

"Were you an entrepreneur, when you worked for someone else?" He asked.
"Yes, I was. Even when I was employed by someone else, I worked for them, as an entrepreneur." I explained.
"Is that why you went off to start, your own business?"
"No; not really."
There was a pause:
"Sir, I don't understand? I always thought entrepreneurs, start their own businesses?"
"Not necessarily. Some of the best entrepreneurs in history, and even today, do not start their own businesses. Its not necessary."
Then I added:
"If my employers, at the time, had recognized me as entrepreneur and deployed me, in such a way as to allow me to express myself as an entrepreneur, I would have stayed, and helped them to build a bigger and more successful organization."
A long pause, as he reflected on my comments:
"Sir, I'm a bit confused? Are you saying that I can be an employee, and an entrepreneur at the same time?"
"Yes, that is what I'm saying to you. It's best to always function as an entrepreneur in your job. ....successful organizations are those who employ entrepreneurs and deploy them properly.
....you need an entrepreneur to start a company, but you need entrepreneurs, at all levels of a growing company.

There are 100 year old companies, that are developing amazing new products, and re-inventing themselves constantly. They may not call it, using such cool words as "entrepreneur", but they employ entrepreneurs, to drive change and innovation. Being an entrepreneur, is at its best a way of thinking, and a mindset."
Then I sighed, and paraphrased Moses, the prophet:
"Oh, how I wish all God's people were entrepreneurs."
Entrepreneurs are the most treasured, and most valued employees, in any organization, that wants to be successful:
See it as a way of thinking!
Become an entrepreneur, in your job!
Being an entrepreneur at work does not mean, start a little business on the side. It means apply yourself in your job, as an entrepreneur, and make the organization you work for a great success.
To be continued...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strive Masiyiwa

Just before you cast your vote, you may need to consider this!

Now we about to elect a new president, governor, senator, etc. And I am thinking, what diligence have we done to access the worth of their values? It should be obvious to us by now that we don’t get the best results in judging their personalities from biased emotions or psycho-physical extremes. Our best verdict for the quality of their personality has never been our best verdict for the quality of their values. Now we are repeating the same mistake accessing the aspirants on a blurred image.

"To give the right verdict, you have to answer the right questions"

- Owen Iyiewuare

WHAT MAKES A GREAT MENTEE - Sotonye Anga

While addressing the eager-to-learn participants, the Agricbusiness Strategist noted that Mentors are humans and as such Mentees should learn to listen with their eyes and ears, ask questions and be willing to follow through.

A New hope for Africa was born.

The just concluded conference of The Mentormorphosis - evolution of hybrid leaders was indeed phenomenon as participants were inspired and motivated for exploits in the coming years. A New hope for Africa was born.

Evolution of Hybrid Leaders

Join us this Saturday as we evolve the 1st generation of hybrid leaders.

Venue: TRIEDENT SUITES 14a, Ladipo Oluwole Street, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
Date: 15.11.14
Time: 9:00 am Prompt.

A Drama Teacher Inspires an Oscar-Winning Performance

Anyone who has ever seen a movie knows the name Tom Hanks. The award-winning actor is one of the world’s most popular entertainers whose films have grossed over $4 billion worldwide. Though most people know him from movies and television, Hanks’s acting career began in the halls of Skyline Hills High School in Oakland, California, under the direction of drama teacher Rawley Farnsworth.

Eager to learn the craft, Hanks took all six of Farnsworth’s classes, during which Farnsworth immediately spotted a genuine comedic talent but encouraged Hanks to be a more dramatic and versatile actor. “Tom was very smart in that respect,” recalls Farnsworth. “I always knew he would go places.”

Indeed, Hanks did. In 1993, he won an Academy Award for his gripping depiction of Andrew Beckett, a lawyer infected with AIDS fighting against bigotry and homophobia in the film, Philadelphia. During his emotional Oscar speech, Hanks credited his experiences with Farnsworth as a major source of inspiration.

“Here’s what I know… I would not be standing here if it weren’t for two very important men in my life, two I haven’t spoken with in a while but I had the pleasure of just the other evening – Mr. Rawley Farnsworth, who was my high school drama teacher, who taught me ‘Act well the part, there all the glory lies’, and one of my classmates under Mr. Farnsworth, Mr. John Gilkerson. I mention their names because they are two of the finest gay Americans, two wonderful men that I had the good fortune to be associated with, to fall under their inspiration at such a young age. I wish my babies could have the same sort of teacher, the same sort of friends.”

In thanking Farnsworth that night in front of millions of people, Hanks reminded us of the true value and inspiration that teachers bring.

 

A Journalist Learns the Importance of the Story

 

 

When it comes to journalists, they don’t come any greater than Walter Cronkite. Often called “the most trusted man in America,” Cronkite covered nearly every major news event in his sixty-year career. He liked to tell stories with great passion, a passion he learned from his high school journalism teacher, Fred Birney.

As a student at San Jacinto High School in Houston, Cronkite was inspired by Birney’s pioneering efforts and passion for journalism. During a time when few schools had journalism classes or student newspapers, Birney convinced the Houston Board of Education to allow him to teach a journalism class once a week at three local high schools.

“He was a newspaperman of the old school and taught us a great deal about reporting and writing. He also became a sponsor of the San Jacinto High School newspaper, the Campus Cub. Under his tutelage, we published it monthly, whereas it had previously been published in a casual manner, just three or four times a year. During my junior year, I was the sports editor of the Campus Cub and its chief editor in my senior year,” recalled Cronkite.

Upon nearing graduation, Cronkite was torn between pursuing a career in journalism and becoming a mining engineer. But thanks to Birney, the choice was clear.

“He taught me so much in those high school classes, and by securing me early jobs, he cemented my desire to be a reporter for the rest of my life. He was my major inspiration. I always credit Fred Birney for my career,” added Cronkite.

The Man Who Inspired Gandhi

 

There are few people who have had a more profound effect on the world than Mahatma Gandhi. As mentioned earlier, he was an inspiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as for Nelson Mandela and so many others.

Gandhi also learned from someone, Dadabhai Naoroji, an Indian leader who helped to start the Indian Independence Movement in 1857. Upon learning of Naoroji’s intentions, Gandhi was eager to join in the efforts. In 1888, he wrote Naoroji a letter, which read, “…you will, therefore oblige me greatly if you will kindly direct and guide me and make necessary suggestions which shall be received as from a father to his child.”

Naoroji took Gandhi under his wing and instilled in him the importance of peaceful protests. Thanks to the teachings, Gandhi was able to hold the largest demonstration of nonviolent resistance in 1947, which handed the country of India back to its people. Upon describing their relationship further, Gandhi would later write, “The story of a life so noble and yet so simple needs no introduction from me or anybody else. May it be an inspiration to the readers even as Dadabhai living was to me. And so Dadabhai became real DADA to me.”