Countless institutions, organizations, business pundits and
media have posed the following questions: What makes an
entrepreneur an entrepreneur? What traits and characteristics best
describe that unique person who successfully starts and grows a
business enterprise?
There have been as many answers as there have been inquirers.
Some say entrepreneurship cannot be taught. Some say it can. Some
say you're born with it; some say you acquire it. Some define
entrepreneurs as artists; others as scientists. Some see
entrepreneurs through a prism of words: passion, leadership, tunnel
vision, clarity of mind, focused, disciplined, charismatic,
creative, competitive. Some see entrepreneurs through a prism of
feelings: possessed, obsessed, intense, consumed, rigid,
insatiable, driven. Some describe entrepreneurs as obsessive
compulsives; others as control freaks. Some describe entrepreneurs
as insiders; others as outsiders. Some describe entrepreneurs as
risk takers; others as risk averse.
And yet, while all these words describe some entrepreneurs, they
don't describe all entrepreneurs-at least not those who are
preeminently successful.
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It's my position that all successful entrepreneurs possess
one fundamental ability, one fundamental quality, one fundamental
skill, one fundamental interest, without which they would never be
successful: Entrepreneurs possess the ability to perceive the world
as a system. Without a doubt, every entrepreneur worth his or her
salt is a "systems thinker." They could not do what they
do without it.
What is a systems thinker? A systems thinker is one who intuits
and sees the whole of a thing, the entirety of it, the one-ness of
it, the integrated unity of it, as opposed to merely the sum of its
parts. A systems thinker:
- Transcends the world in order to transform it.
- Is an inventor as opposed to an engineer.
- Sees purpose in everything, and sees the system as the
realization of the purpose.
- Sees meaning in everything and, if not, pursues everything
until the meaning becomes clear, until the system reveals itself in
all its glory.
- Is possessed by the meaning of things.
All great entrepreneurs are systems thinkers. Your business
isn't simply a group of people doing work. It is, or it should
be, a business system that's operated by people. The systems do
the work, and people operate the systems. Your business should be
systems-dependent, not people-dependent. Systemic thinking will set
you free.
With no systems in place, your business depends on you and on a
few people who run things for you. If you or they disappear, even
for a short time, your business is thrown into chaos. But if you
have the right systems in place, the systems run your business, and
nearly anyone can run the systems.
If you have the right systems in place, you can decide suddenly
to take a three-month vacation, and your business won't skip a
beat. If you have the right systems in place, your key employees
could suddenly quit, and you could replace them easily with no ill
effect on your business. If performance isn't up to snuff,
rather than blame your people and argue with them, you simply
adjust the system. If problems and opportunities arise, you respond
by creating new systems or adjusting existing systems. With the
right systems in place, you can work every day in your business-or
not. It's your choice, because your system is what's really
running your business.
Systemic thinking is second nature to successful entrepreneurs,
and it's the real secret behind building a business that works.
All who wish to become great entrepreneurs need to learn how to
become a systems thinker. Or, more accurately, they need to develop
their innate passion for seeing things whole and transcending the
world. Their world. Our world. All worlds.
Michael Gerber is the founder and chairman of E-Myth Worldwide, where
he invented a revolutionary small-business development system
that's been proven in thousands of businesses across the globe.
Since 1977, Gerber has been sharing his business success strategies
with millions of fans of his E-Myth books, audiotapes and programs.
As a business-coaching pioneer and bestselling author, Gerber has
changed the face of small business by providing entrepreneurs with
an innovative and stunningly clear understanding, capability and
process to transform any small business into a world-class
enterprise.