Regular readers will know that I am doing research into the development of entrepreneurial leadership in the church in Scotland. Over the next few posts, I’m going to share some of my early findings, based on interviews and research conducted so far. And we’ll begin with some of the personal traits and characteristics of entrepreneurial leaders.
The first thing I’ve noticed is that they ask questions. They are not satisfied with the status quo and they want to work out ‘what’s wrong?’. This seems to be an obvious requirement for any entrepreneurial initiative, especially in the Schumpeterian view of entrepreneurship as creative destruction and system renewal. This presupposes a perception that ‘something is wrong’ (or ‘not quite right’, at the very least), and implies a search for alternative solutions. As one of those I interviewed said to me, “It came from asking questions about what is working, what isn’t working, why isn’t it working and what needs to change”.
Secondly, and even more strongly, they challenge the system. I’ve heard them call it ‘holy dissatisfaction’ or ‘apostolic frustration’. One of them said “well, if I don’t change it, no-one else will”. They described the current state of Christian ministry and mission in Scotland as dull, tedious, ineffective, even offensive[1]. As one commented, “the way we’re doing it in the church in Scotland isn’t exactly drawing them in in their hordes”. Another simply said to me, “I want to do something more than this”.
They seem to be people who see things from a different perspective. As outsiders, their imagination isn’t as restricted as it might be, and they really, really want to do things in a better way. This is one of the most fundamental motivations of any entrepreneur[2], not just of social entrepreneurs. Whether dealing with intractable social problems, finding ways to share the gospel with people who would not normally give the Christian faith a second thought, or developing approaches to church that will disciple and nurture people who are way beyond the boundaries of our current forms of church, where things are ‘stuck’, they want to agitate,they want to innovate, and they want to have an impact.
A lot of them spoke of being misunderstood. You might be reading the above and getting a bit annoyed with them. They know it. They feel it. But they are not making trouble for trouble’s sake. Of course, not everyone shares their different perspective[3]. If you say things need to change, that’s an implicit (and at times explicit) criticism of the status quo. They spoke of “sheep bites” and of “being picked to death by ducks”. Other churches have been possessive of their turf, and other Christians have sent nasty letters[4]. They recognise that something new or unusual can be misconstrued, or perhaps expectations don’t get met, but as one of them said to me about the criticisms they had received, “I need to remember that they’re coming from their own fears as well, and you somehow have to respond compassionately and empathetically”.
So, that’s just a few of the things I’ve learned about what makes entrepreneurial leaders tick. Next time, I’ll look at some of the things they do.
[1] Hey, don’t shoot me! I’m just the messenger.
[2] Contrary to popular opinion, research shows that most entrepreneurs are not motivated by the desire to make lots of money. Alan Sugar is the exception, not the rule.
[3] If they did, by definition it wouldn’t be a different perspective.
[4] I know, hard to believe, right?
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