Becoming Entrepreneurial in Life, Work, and Ministry

I have little interest in being a consumer …

I want to be creative. I don’t want to look for what can be given to me. I want to look for what I can create and offer to multiply value. It’s a mind-set and heart-set we can grow in.

I believe we are wired to be entrepreneurial in our life and work.

“Entrepreneur” comes from the French literally meaning one who undertakes (a task or enterprise). Behind the French, the Latin source word means to take.

An entrepreneur is one who steps out and steps forward with energy and strategy to seize what they see as an opportunity, risking failure to accomplish something worthwhile.

Auren Hoffman advanced my thinking about this in his article “The Entrepreneur vs. the Strategy Consultant.” Reflect on how you can build these entrepreneurial traits into your heart-set and mind-set.

Ownership

Own the opportunity. Own the inevitable challenge. You’re responsible for it. It’s a stewardship mentality. You may have to shift your thinking from that of a “renter” or an “employee” to that of an owner. It’s a different perspective that we’ll need for success.

Self-Esteem

There will be resistance. Steven Pressfield calls it “The Resistance.” When you start to step up and put your work out there, you’ll probably encounter thoughts (and emotions) like –

• “It’s not ready”

• “It’s not good enough”

• “I need to perfect it”

• “It will be criticized”

• “I’ll be embarrassed”

• And so on and so on …

You have to get stronger. Build yourself up for the sake of getting your work before others. You’ll have to keep getting up and advancing.

Focus Like a Laser

If you want to be entrepreneurial, one of your greatest enemies will be distraction. Be ruthless. Focus like a laser. Kill anything that gets you off target. Allocate blocks of time. Keep the vision in mind. Releasing creative energy takes focus. Entrepreneurs have to cultivate and maintain focus or else they will blend right back into the bland “normal.”

Strong Work Ethic

There’s no way around it. It takes work. Hard work. Emotional work (creative work) is harder than physical work. It’s amazing how “overnight success” tends to follow a lot of hard work. It’s the expenditure of work on your project which builds value into it. It’s a law that the Creator has coded into the creation.

Ability to Create Own Reality

Reality is manifested through creativity. You have something different to offer. It does not “exist” yet. Well, it does … it’s just not manifested yet. An entrepreneur does not accept what is. She creates what needs to be. What must be. You have the capacity to create your own reality. Will it be resisted? 100% of the time. You’ll have to press through the membrane.

Trust

Trust God. Trust yourself. An entrepreneur trusts that what they have to offer is worth the process. And it’s worth the attention of others. You have value to add to others and the work they do. Do what you can do advance the “speed of trust” with others.

Charisma

Charisma is power and personal qualities that increase your influence. The highest form of charisma is actually spiritual. The Greek root speaks of grace and favor. Charisma is presence. The authentic power of presence attracts attention to your creative work. Be comfortable with your personhood, your personality in the best sense of the word. What you creatively manifest will come through your person. We’re not talking about something shallow. We’re talking about the highest form of charisma, something that’s real and true.

Selling Acumen

Get comfortable with “selling.” Everybody is selling something: services, products, causes, ideas, a mission, themselves. Sure, there are some who have sullied the word. And yet commerce is good and right. It’s how things work. Your work is worth being sold. By adding value to others, you have the opportunity to multiply profit. You have the potential to expand your enterprise. There’s a smart way to sell. We now have unprecedented (just w/i the past decade or so) access and technology at our disposal to bring our goods and services to the marketplace. Pray about it.

And the Greatest Entrepreneur Ever?

I’m saying it’s Jesus Christ …

He stepped up and stepped out in a fathomless way. He gave it all so that those who received Him could begin anew. His enterprise is restoring all things throughout creation and on a cosmic scale.

Q4U: What entrepreneurial traits might you need to build into your life and work?

Related:

And the Greatest Entrepreneur of All Time Is …

Overcome the Resistance — Don’t Let it Stop You!

Benefit in Life with a Beginner’s Mind