Until a couple of
weeks ago, my perception of entrepreneurship was somewhat limited. In my mind,
entrepreneurship is innovation related to creating and
adapting businesses, providing value in the form of goods and services. Entrepreneurs tend to be creative problem
solvers who are driven and who recognize opportunities. They don’t always
succeed the first time, but they learn, adapt, and persist as they pursue their
goals. What I had not previously considered is how this mindset might
contribute to success outside of a business model, in the context of studies, work, and
life.
At the recent NISOD conference I had the opportunity to
attend a session presented by Bree Langemo,
President of the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI) and Rebecca Corbin, President & CEO of National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) entitled An Entrepreneurial Mindset: Advancing Student Success in the Classroom and onCampus. The
presenters compared the skills and characteristics of entrepreneurs with 21st century skills essential to
success in the workplace. Some of these
aptitudes include problem-solving, creativity, curiosity, persistence,
adaptability, and awareness. In our own consultation with employers, there is consistent
expression that these aptitudes are expected as graduates enter the
workplace.
The
experience that ELI has had in cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset has not
only prepared students for the workplace, but has increased student achievement
by instilling confidence, efficacy, and determination by providing tools for
problem solving to overcome challenges (Schoeniger & Langemo, 2016). I am particularly inspired by the potential
of empowering students to not only reach for their goals, but to actively
pursue them with confidence and determination.
In
further researching an entrepreneurial mindset, I came across the term motivated
tactician. This term resonates with me as it implies action and describes an
engaged thinker who considers strategies and takes action based on goals,
motives, and needs (Haynie, Shepard, Mosakowski, & Early, 2010). Of course
this applies to the context of business, but in a broader sense applies to the
context of life.
In the business context of entrepreneurship, we have all benefited from the value
that various entrepreneurs have provided through goods and services. Entrepreneurship has been around me, however I haven't always considered it as a part of me. As I now reflect on the
entrepreneurial mindset as a way of discovering opportunities with curiosity
and determination, while connecting with others, it is clearly a means to
contribute value to life and the lives around us. I am inspired to further explore the entrepreneurial
mindset and it’s potential to contribute to student success within college and beyond. Afterall, it's not just about business....it's about life.
References
Haynie,
J. M., Shepherd, D., Mosakowski, E., & Earley, P. C. (2010). A situated
metacognitive model of the entrepreneurial mindset. Journal of Business Venturing, 25(2), 217–229.
doi:10.1016/j.jbusvent.2008.10.001
Schoeniger, G, Langemo, B.(2016, May), An entrepreneurial mindset for
student success. The NISOD Papers, 3, 1-4.
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