Surya Prakash Mohapatra
Global Leader
Resource Enablement, HP Inc.
What Organizations are looking for today- managers or Entrepreneurs?
What do organizations need today- Managers or Entrepreneurs?If you ask a manager to work on a project. The answer is always affirmative. But the affirmation usually comes with a rider: “Well I can do this. However, I need you to approve USD XXX before I start. I need 10 resources and it will take me six months to complete the project.” Now let’s see how an Entrepreneurwill respond to the same challenge. “Well, tell us what you need and when you need. We would do it.”
So what differentiates an Entrepreneur from a Manager?
- End vs Scope
An Entrepreneur begins with the end in mind. But a Manager begins and ends with the scope defined for him and agreed by him. An Entrepreneur takes complete ownership for his success or failure. A manager looks for opportunity to pass on the blame to someone else for his failure.
- Speed
Speed is of essence to the entrepreneur. He is ever agile and he wants to move swiftly with his tasks. For a manager, speed is important, but, only to the extent it is required to deliver within the project deadlines.
- Attitude
An Entrepreneur usually has a ‘can-do’ attitude and a ‘never-say-die’ spirit. On the hand, the manager has a‘I can, but…’ attitude.
4, Results vs Metrics Mindset
An Entrepreneur has a mindset to drive revenue and increase cash-flows for his organization. He uses creativity and innovation as levers for this. On the other hand, the manager has a mindset to drive metrics and KPIs
Therefore, Organizations to become successful need more entrepreneurs than managers. As business environment becomes more complex, uncertain and ambiguous, enterprises would like their workforce to take on more risks and demonstrate greater accountability. They would like their workforce to demonstrate guts to take business challenges head-on. All these are great traits of an Entrepreneur.
