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Act Like an Intrepreneur ~
The book of Acts and the new congregations reflected by
the epistles of the New Testament, hint at a subtle strategic change in
leadership. Because entrepreneurs basically think like outsiders,
a new breed of paradigm shift began to emerge-the intrepreneur.
Intrepreneurs were change agents who worked inside organizations
comfortably. They were gifted leaders who kindled an innovative
spirit in existing organizations and viewed themselves as agriculturist-plowing, planting, cultivating, and
praying for rain. Intrepreneurs
combined dissatisfaction with patience and frequently found success.
From a strategy viewpoint, intrepreneurs-then
and now-hold and act on a few basic beliefs:
1. The believe the
best decisions are made nearest the work. They lead "by
walking around" and stay in touch with the grass roots.
2. They know the most
effective communication is face to face. Intrepreneurs
ask, listen, hear, and respond to information from those who are on the
front lines.
3. They are convinced
that innovation is basic to organizational health. Every idea or
service or organization finaly becomes
obsolete, so intrepreneurs are always looking
for the next need to meet and the next person to serve.
4. Intrepreneurs know that volunteers work better than draftees.
They lead by coaching rather than dictating.
5. Interpreneurs use an improvement cycle. They determine what
"it" is-and focus on "it." Then they create,
test, fix, and offer "it."
6. Some leaders settle
for a "trial and error" approach to life. Intrepreneurs believe in "trial and
success." Because they take lots of risks, they make lots of
mistakes-and learn from them. Learning from our mistakes is a
vital element of effective leadership.
7. Intrepreneurs think small, others, and now. Inside organizations, change
may happen slowly. Attempting incremental change for others when
the opportunity presents itself adds up to significant change over time.
Fifteen Steps to Flexibility - What can you and I do if we
weren't born entrepreneurs or intrepreneurs?
How can we cultivate more flexibility in our lives and
leadership? Here are a few suggestions:
¥ Read widely,
including at least one out-of-the ordinary title or topic each month.
¥ Travel to a place
you've never visited before.
¥ Ask open-ended
questions.
¥ Listen more than
you talk.
¥ Break an old habit.
¥ Try a new food.
¥ Converse (not
argue) with someone who looks at life differently than you.
¥ When you fail, try
again-from a different angle.
¥ Cultivate a new
hobby.
¥ Become an expert on
a foreign country.
¥ Take novel routes
to familiar destinations.
¥ Make "what
if" a frequent phrase in your vocabulary.
¥ Play games, and
laugh at surprises.
¥ Go to a creativity
workshop, and experiment with alternate solutions.
¥ Read the book of
Acts annually.
Edited and used by permission from: Leading Edge: Leadership Strategies
From The New Testament © 1996 by Robert D. Dale, (Abingdon Press,
Nashville, pages 71-73).
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