I had lunch with an old friend this week. He is a very successful entrepreneur with nothing more than a high school degree as far as formal education goes. Not surprisingly, we began to talk shop and debated on whether entrepreneurship can be learned or if people are simply born with it. Any student of entrepreneurship knows that this debate has been going on since the ages of time.
For the longest time, I was adamant that entrepreneurship was a trait that only people were born with. You either got it or you don’t. It wasn’t until recently when I started to take a different position.
Now, I absolutely think that entrepreneurship can be learned. This is how I came to flopping sides…..
Now, I absolutely think that entrepreneurship can be learned. This is how I came to flopping sides…..
My assessment is that most people, including myself in the past, would say that entrepreneurship is something people are born with because the person saying that was typically a successful entrepreneur themselves. Successful entrepreneurs would like to think that they have a special gift that not many others can get. The truth is, entrepreneurship is a gift. It is a talent…..but it can absolutely be learned.
As our conversation went deeper and my friend began to talk about how his dad could never be like him and have the risk tolerant he had to make it happen, he said with conviction, “You either got it or you don’t!”
Here is my argument:
One of my professors - Bill Aulet - at MIT once asked that very same question, “Can entrepreneurship be learned?” All the students mumbled “yes’s” and “no’s” when he quickly interjected and said, “Yes it can! If you don’t believe it can, why are you here?” This made me think……in the Marines the same argument is always debated whether leadership can be learned. I’ve seen great “natural-born leaders” and also seen horrible leaders who were in leadership positions but were ineffective. I realized that the reason why they were ineffective wasn’t because they couldn’t learn leadership, but because they have not learned enough of it. It just takes more time, training, and experience for some people. We have to remember that there are different levels of leadership skills – bad, good, better, best. What’s important to know is that a bad leader can become a good leader, and possibly better leader.
Back to entrepreneurship – I agree that there are people who are born with or hard-wired with natural entrepreneurship traits that will help them be successful, but to think that one cannot learn these skills and pick up these traits is simply being prideful. Natural entrepreneurs who receive formal education and experience in entrepreneurship can become “great” entrepreneurs. Non-entrepreneur types who receive entrepreneur education and experience can become “better” entrepreneurs. Every human has the gift and ability to learn. Some are more advanced that others and everyone learns differently, but everyone can learn.
As our conversation went deeper and my friend began to talk about how his dad could never be like him and have the risk tolerant he had to make it happen, he said with conviction, “You either got it or you don’t!”
Here is my argument:
One of my professors - Bill Aulet - at MIT once asked that very same question, “Can entrepreneurship be learned?” All the students mumbled “yes’s” and “no’s” when he quickly interjected and said, “Yes it can! If you don’t believe it can, why are you here?” This made me think……in the Marines the same argument is always debated whether leadership can be learned. I’ve seen great “natural-born leaders” and also seen horrible leaders who were in leadership positions but were ineffective. I realized that the reason why they were ineffective wasn’t because they couldn’t learn leadership, but because they have not learned enough of it. It just takes more time, training, and experience for some people. We have to remember that there are different levels of leadership skills – bad, good, better, best. What’s important to know is that a bad leader can become a good leader, and possibly better leader.
Back to entrepreneurship – I agree that there are people who are born with or hard-wired with natural entrepreneurship traits that will help them be successful, but to think that one cannot learn these skills and pick up these traits is simply being prideful. Natural entrepreneurs who receive formal education and experience in entrepreneurship can become “great” entrepreneurs. Non-entrepreneur types who receive entrepreneur education and experience can become “better” entrepreneurs. Every human has the gift and ability to learn. Some are more advanced that others and everyone learns differently, but everyone can learn.
Let’s look at this analogy. I am 5’8” and 155lbs…..just a little guy. My chances of slam-dunking on a standard basketball goal are very unlikely. Some pro ballers might say dunking is something you are born with, but take my previous argument and apply it to this concept. Yes, I agree I probably will never slam dunk a basketball in my lifetime, but if I dedicated my life to doing so and worked out my legs, core, stretched to maximum flexibility, and did specific jumping exercises everyday for 8 hours a day for one full year…..combine that with an optimum diet, practice and coaching, I am pretty sure I could get there. Of course there are anomalies like Nate Robinson and Spud Webb who dunk with ease, but for the average person of this size who does not train as a professional, this is a challenge. But can it happen? Yes.
Takeaway:
So if anyone out there doesn’t think that they can be an entrepreneur or have what it takes…..think again. Anything is learn-able. It just depends on what all you are willing to sacrifice. Some people sacrifice money, time, sleep, and others may sacrifice family and relationships.
How bad do you want it?
So if anyone out there doesn’t think that they can be an entrepreneur or have what it takes…..think again. Anything is learn-able. It just depends on what all you are willing to sacrifice. Some people sacrifice money, time, sleep, and others may sacrifice family and relationships.
How bad do you want it?
RSS Feed