There are problems in our world. There are problems everywhere you look. In fact, problems have become the main cast member throughout this pandemic that we are living in right now. And it feels so hard. Not one person isn’t affected and not one person has not had to shift and pivot to figure out a problem before the next one comes cascading down. There are problems we have never faced before or never even dreamed of. But to the person who is a true entrepreneur, those problems represent opportunity. They think that if you can solve the problem, that can result in an opportunity in your leadership where you can really make a difference. Leaders, we have never had a time like this! A time where we can show up as the leader we have always been dreaming of. A crusader! This is a time where we are forced to solve problems and the more we do it, the better we become at it. However, this only happens if we are intentional and do the work of reframing how we look at problems. The leaders who have decided to develop entrepreneurial mindset in their leadership do not do what everyone else may do. Instead they go towards the problem, look for it, pivot, solve the problem, ask the hard questions, take risks, accelerate their growth, and actually get bigger and better results. This is different you guys! This is really really hard. But…it is worth it because it will begin to light you up and change you and your community in the most incredible ways.
Developing an entrepreneurial mindset doesn’t necessarily have to look like giving up your school leadership and starting up a new business or idea on your own. Although it could. However, today I am talking about being an entrepreneur within your school leadership. It is about doing the work to figure out what no one else could figure out. It is about sticking to something that you just can’t stop thinking about. This is the type of work that lights you up, finds solid solutions for your teachers, makes an impact on your community and helps you to build a life that you love. We are going to go behind the scenes to entrepreneurial minded leadership and figure out a new way to reframe our thinking so that it celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit that lives inside of leaders. Because we all have an entrepreneurial mindset, we just sometimes get busy with all the other noise to let it shine through and guide us.
Let’s first talk about the fear that may creep up or the ‘yeah buts’ that will try to take you out of the game when it comes to letting your entrepreneurial spirit guide you as you lead a school. Entrepreneurs can be found in every kind of industry, even education. Think about it, every leader has their own style of leadership and it is often defined by their inner entrepreneur but they don’t often let it out. Why? Because there are so many other things to worry about. They don’t have time to worry about themselves. Well, my friends, if you don’t worry about yourself and that nudge in your gut that is trying to surface (you know the one that keeps calling you to something?), then you will exhaust yourself. In fact, if you are doing this very thing right now, how is that working for you? You may be feeling tired, overwhelmed, frustrated by all of the problems that you keep trying to solve for everyone else without a solid plan and doing all the things that you have to get done but never really do. Now, let’s reframe this and let your entrepreneurial self shine through while dealing with all these problems. Let’s find out what happens and how you may feel after, if you start to let your real self and that nudge to let your passion out take the driver’s seat.
As Michael Hyatt stated in a podcast I recently listed to, “An entrepreneur is somebody who’s motivated, who’s curious, first of all, but then motivated to solve a problem, and they’re doing it because there’s some kind of reward—it may just be the satisfaction of solving the problem. It may be ‘cause there’s a financial reward. It may be ‘cause there’s a promotion or there’s some sort of esteem that accrues to them as a result of solving that problem—when you think about that, these people are essential to our culture because these are the people that are going to take on the problems and come up with real solutions, maybe solutions that we would have never considered, that would have never arisen in any other way. Every leap forward by society, there’s usually an entrepreneur that was behind it, not just because they were altruistic, but because they were emoted for some kind of gain.” Powerful stuff right? Doesn’t this sound like leadership and the work that you are already doing? That means, my friend, that you are already on your way to letting out your entrepreneurial self. However, you may not be solving the problems, you may be letting them get you down, you may not be finding the solutions and that is ok. But you cannot go on like this forever. It is what you do about these problems and how you rise from it that matters.
The first thing to look at when you are considering how to let your entrepreneurial spirit guide you in educational leadership is how you contribute. That is a big characteristic and the word “how” is so important. You already know you contribute. Some days, it feels like that is all you do. However, are you contributing in your way or is it an idea in the way you think you should contribute, or how you were told to? Now let’s reframe the how. What is it that you are really good at? What screams inside your gut to get out? For example, I have always loved reading about wellness books about finding clarity and organizing my life into zones. I read all the books and journaled about it all. I kept coming back to these books over and over again and doing some organizing at home. I wasn’t particularly good at organizing stuff but I was getting better with practice. However, it wasn’t until I let that nudge surface in how I contributed to my school that I realized my entrepreneurial spirit in leadership. I started to reframe how I contributed by letting what I loved and was good at surface. Within problems, instead of trying to take it all on myself, I started to build problem solving frameworks that could help others organize their thinking, prioritize their problem, and decide actions to solve it themselves. In other words, I organized the thinking that happens in problem solving into zones which became steps. Next, I built an implementation framework that teachers could use to teach others how they solved the problem. My entrepreneurial self and my nudge to get clarity through step by step frameworks were what led me to this type of problem solving work. It was very messy at first but now we are finally getting traction. It is all because I reframed how I looked at problems and I used what I was passionate about to help to solve it as well as contribute to others. If you are contributing in an entrepreneurial leadership kind of way, it becomes something that you are passionate about. It also gives your teacher community an opportunity to do work, to fulfill their calling, to feel proud of their work, and to have a sense of dignity about their work. Finding what you are passionate about and using that to contribute to help solve problems is a characteristic of entrepreneurial leadership within schools.
The essence of entrepreneurial leadership is that entrepreneurial minded leaders look at places where there is pain point and instead of shying away, they use what they are passionate about to figure it out. They reframe how they think about problems and embrace them, knowing that this is the best way to grow and learn. Look for a problem and use what you are passionate about to figure it out. Oh, and stick with it because it will always be messy at first! Being an entrepreneur within your leadership means you are that master troubleshooter! I also like to compare it a little to customer service too! However, the best part is that you are not just trying to solve the problem for yourself. There is also another perk to being an entrepreneurial minded leader. You think like no one else does. That will also light you up because you are finding the solutions through your calling, your ideas, and your passions. You are creating your own blueprint and prototype so that someone else can benefit from it as well.
The second characteristic for entrepreneurial mindset in leadership is observing the biggest problem. You become the detective that looks for the gaps instead of avoids them because you know that problems are where you are most needed. Develop the mindset that you are looking for problems. You know that problems do not mean that your ideas aren’t working but that no one has been able to figure it out yet. Therefore, that is where you are needed the most. Your entrepreneurial mindset pulls you to the problem. However, you do this by keeping your teachers at the front of your mind. First, you want to think about the transformation they will feel once they solve this problem. Where are they getting stuck? Next, you think about the actual problem. What is it that is getting in their way of feeling that transformation? The best way to approach the observation step when developing an entrepreneurial mindset is to talk to your teachers. Listen to the patterns and trends that are happening. Notice their emotions and how they want to feel as well as how they feel right now.
The next step is testing your prototype or theory. You have that idea and then you have got to test it. However, you test it knowing that this is the beta run of your strategy or idea. You know that it probably won’t be perfect during the first launch. In my example where I developed a problem solving framework, it was a little messy to start and it stirred up some frustration and overwhelm. So I listened rather than defended. Their feedback was very effective and insightful. I took it and tweaked and then launched it again. It stirred up more conversation and reflection but with time and consistent implementation, we have never had more traction and alignment! With each edit, it got better and better. It was because of this observation and testing phase. It helps you to zero in on the problems that you actually have vs. the surface things that we try to solve first because they actually weren’t really problems in the first place.
The next phase is called the true desire stage. In this phase, you determine if this is actually a problem that you want to solve. If you do not want to solve it, think how you can bring your gifts into the problem solving strategy so that it does become a problem that lights you up. If your gifts do not enhance this problem, then turn to someone who is an expert in this field. Sometimes, it does not always have to be on you! Isn’t that great news! Your entrepreneurial side knows that you are not the expert of all things, but an entrepreneur always has someone at the table they can tap on to contribute. In fact, you can download this free guide on how to find and engage your tribe to help you with this very thing! So, you go to experts. You bring them in. You ask for advice from them. This expert may be someone in your school, a giant in the field, in a book, another leader in the division etc. As the old saying goes, you may never be a prophet in your own land. Recognize that and tap on someone’s shoulder. Find that person and use them to support you. This takes some humility but it also takes massive wisdom to shift the focus to a different expert. Pay attention to the drive you have to solve problems. This will show up in your energy and your community will read and respond to that.
The last characteristic is motivation. Visualize what motivates you and what benefits you and your community. Pay attention to what truly motivates you. Is it accolades, money, moving up, being the hero, service, etc? Perhaps it is a bit of all of these things or other things. None of these things are wrong by the way but they do matter when it comes to thinking about how your entrepreneurial self can surface within leadership. Think about how awesome it would be knowing that if you can help people plan their problem solving strategies in a way that’s strategic, it’s going to make a huge difference in their teaching and gets you excited about leading again.
We just went through the steps to bringing your entrepreneurial mindset to your leadership. To recap, the characteristics were contributing, observing the problem, testing your prototype, your true desire to solve the problem, and motivation. The number one thing that happens when realizing your entrepreneurial nudge within your leadership, is it helps to shift your mindset. That’s the most important thing. You’ve got to start seeing problems—every time one occurs. Shift what you are doing now just a little and let your passions surface to help solve it. Think like an entrepreneur. They go straight to where their work is needed the most and they use their gifts to solve it. I know it’s easy to get annoyed. It’s easy to get frustrated—but try to start seeing problems as opportunities. Every time you solve a problem, even if it’s just in your own life, once you solve that problem, it solves or eliminates the friction for your own leadership. But it’s a different way of seeing problems. Instead of complaining, instead of dreading them, actually leaning forward and embracing them. Embrace who you are and the gifts that are waiting for you to share with the world and you will be amazed at how your entrepreneurial side will rejuvenate your approach to solving problems.
Want more? Go to my website for all the updated things happening, not to mention some free guides and templates on school leadership.
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Have you joined our private facebook community yet? Or have you listened to our student wellness podcast that is written by kids for kids? Check the Even if You Miss podcast out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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Amy, P., & Michael, H. (Narrator). Porterfield, A., & Hyatt, M. (Director). (2021). Why Entrepreneurs Will Save The World [Online video]. United States: On-line Marketing Made Easy Podcast.
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