Soul of the entrepreneur

MAN WITH DREAMS
The term entrepreneur conjures up an image of an individual whose mind churns innovative ideas and he implements them to reap profits.

But an entrepreneur is not just a man with ideas, he has in him will, grit and vision. He is a bird who does not fear to spread his wings far and wide and glide across the blue sky. An entrepreneur neither confines his dreams nor is confined by mental, physical or social barriers. His language is of dreams and his acts are of determination.

L. F. Urwick states “business houses are made or broken in the long run not by markets or capital, patents or equipment but by men”. And men who excel are those who have harmony of body, mind and soul and since the creation of this universe is so impeccable and flawless, God is the greatest of all entrepreneurs. It was his pure imaginations that lead to the creation of this world with all its flora and fauna basking in glory. So if even we start riding the horse of imagination, we will learn the sport of polo on our way. We often ask, “Why did God create me?” The answer is because He wanted us to be His image on earth, i.e. to be great entrepreneurs like Him. He is both the origin and the destination. That is why when we dream and set out to fulfill it, the entire universe with all its positive ions conspires to fulfill it. 90% of our energy and ability lies dormant and locked in our unconscious mind. But a determined conscious decision is like a king’s command to his servant to our unconscious mind. Once we set the dreams flowing, the vision comes on its own and the erstwhile anomalies also become instrumental in our dream fulfillment.

LEGENDARY MORTALS
The world is replete with people who followed their dreams and made a difference in others and their own existence. Henry Ford the “Father of Automobile” left his home and farm at the age of 16 to go to the city of cars ‘Detroit’. He knew exactly what he wanted in life and therefore every step he took, took him closer to his dream. He dreamt a family car for Americans and gave them that and acquired 55% of American automobile market share. Jawaharlal Nehru made a statement as early as 1939, that “The two formidable power in the world today are Russia and USA. The two would-be mighty powers of the world are India and China.” We are witnessing the changing sides of power today and realize Nehruji’s foresight and vision. He said he loved children because today’s children will be future of tomorrow. He blended a fine sensitivity of mind and a rare understanding of serious issues. His sincerity to his ideals gave his mind and thoughts the direction to struggle for higher causes of human life and shape the freedom movement.

DREAM BIG AND MOTIVATE
The most striking example of entrepreneurship in recent times is NR Narayana Murthy of Infosys.
o The company that grew from $250 in 1981 to $12.5 billion in 2005.
o Became the 1st Indian company to be listed on NASDAQ in 1999.
o Has been recipient of Best Employer award for consecutive years in 2001 and 2002.
o Ranks among the top 50 global companies of the world.

All this has been possible because the man at the helm follows the Gandhi notion of “Simple living and High Thinking”. But a true entrepreneur’s thinking should be high not only about his own dreams but also of people around him. The entrepreneur cannot be a cold, calculative and demanding individual because results are achieved only when the leader drops his big “I” to adopt the “WE” of his team. The soul of the entrepreneur is replenished when:

o He is aware of the situation around him.
o He has learnt to put himself in others shoes.
o His mind has learnt to be calm under crisis.
o His heart has learnt to be understanding under trying times.
o And therefore his soul is in tandem with his heart and mind.

When the ego of the boss is dwarfed and the self-respect of his employees is blown up, the soul of the organization blossoms as a whole. Thus emerges an equipoise soulful entrepreneur whose graph of productivity only gains height.

OPEN EYES TO OPPORTUNITIES

But the problem with most of us is not that our goals are too high and we fail to reach them but the trouble is that most of the times our goals are non-existent. Half our lives pass in trying to dream and the other half in trying to make sense of those dreams. When we take the first step towards our dreams, the Omnipresent grace makes way for the next two steps. Divine assistance comes more subtly and less obviously. We need to make the first move and good fortune follows soon. A great devotee of God was once trapped in a flood in his village. People were evacuating the place but he was not worried believing God will take care of him. Gradually water rose higher and higher but he was nonchalant. Soon the rescue boats arrived and people got into them but he did not saying, “God will take care of me”. A little while later helicopters arrived and picked people up but the devotee still refused holding on to his belief. Finally the water inundated the village completely and the man drowned. When he met God he asked, “How could you let me drown, I had such faith in you?” God looked at him sadly and said, “I sent you a boat; I sent you a helicopter, what else could I do”.

BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS
The Lord has blessed us with dreams and opportunities. We need to believe in our dreams and look for the opportunities. If our mind is perceptive and our senses are receptive, we will surely strike the link between our dreams and opportunities. The world around is fragrant with divine presence but the eternal Almighty has also made some obstacles and hurdles so that we learn to appreciate and value the goodness of others around us. The world does not talk to a dumb person and does not hear to a mute person. Similarly, till we conquer our internal fears and challenges, the world will not believe in our dreams or us. Believing your dreams and following them is the only way to reach the destination, which is the highest peak on the mountain and that, should be our chosen destiny. Remember,

“Heights by great men,
Were not attained in a single flight.
They while their companions slept,
Were toiling upwards in the sky”
 

Author: admin