The media often use the phrase 'entrepreneurs' when describing small business owners, but business guru Michael E. Gerber believes that most are not really entrepreneurs at all. Rather, they are gifted technicians, experts at the craft of creating the key product of their business.
If you own a florists, there's a good chance you are good at arranging flowers; if you own a bakery, you are probaly good at baking bread.
Gerber contrasts three different types of leadership skills:
- The technical skills required to produce a product or deliver a service
- The managerial skills required to manage and train others, to organise suppliers and deal with finance and admin
- True entrepreneurial skills required to set out a vision for how the organisation could succeed and grab every available commercial opportunity
His key message: that great business leaders do not work within their business, but on their business
How does this apply to Insight?
The IMA believes that there are many parallels between running a small business and leading an Insight team. Historically, the vast majority of Insight leaders had been promoted to their position based on their technical skills as researchers or analysts. We have then had to acquire the managerial skills to set standards, supervise others, manage budgets and demand.
But how many of us have really embraced the entrepreneurial slide of Insight leadership? Do we work in our Insight teams or on them?
The IMA has drawn on Gerber's ideas when writing about the many and varied roles of an Insight leader.
Quick links
Please click here to access the IMA's member content on Insight leadership
Please click here to explore our online workshop, Aspiring Insight leaders
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