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To develop an entrepreneurial spirit in yourself and others you must develop in yourself and encourage in others a desire to seek feedback on performance from external customers. This tends to come hard to those more attuned to seeking acceptance from organization members interested in systems and delivery issues (often, senior management). One way to expose yourself and your staff to progress is to engage in experiential learning (learning by doing) experiences. That means you and your staff need to get involved in new areas and “out of your comfort zone activities” such as cross-functional project teams.

To measure your performance from an entrepreneurial point of view  you need to conduct performance assessment based on personal (and team) customer satisfaction levels, rather than comparison to some pre determined performance management system. In addition non-managerial, professional career schemes will need to be available to ensure a motivating future with appropriate rewards that can be envisaged/embraced by all stakeholders.

In the “old days” as a traditional manager you were expected to control inputs and encouraged to reward those who learn and posses the best process skills. Functional responsibilities were to control the people, oversee organization roles and ensure the correct skills were applied to the task at hand.

As an entrepreneur will you need to manage outputs, reward achievement, develop market-focused competencies (knowledge and skills applied to the task at hand) and develop and lead an appropriate value system.

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Entrepreneurial Characteristics

Risk taker that can live with uncertainty

Adaptable to change and able to improvise

Can see how new innovations satisfy a market

Interested in effectiveness rather than efficiency

Either creative him/herself or able to utilize those who are

Has a desire to lead in his/her area of operation or market

A continuos learner willing to make and or tolerate mistakes

Flexible, willing to change direction as the circumstances dictate

Self possessed of a sense of urgency and stimulates that sense in others

Recognizes his/her shortcomings and empowers others who compensate

Finally you need to understand that as an entrepreneurial manager you need to develop a creative outlook on what is to be done in response to and as a result of interacting with a fast changing environment. You must be very conscious of the effect of your old paradigms (norms) on how you see things an overcome the need for stability and a reliance on systems. An ability and willingness to follow hunches is essential for an entrepreneurial manager.