Why do we entrepreneurs educate ourselves?
Sparing you a diatribe on knowledge theory, I’ll cut to the chase: For those who succeed, education is a supplement to, but not a replacement for, drive and self-belief.
There are scores of great business books and theorists out there. In addition to the StartupNation book, I’ve found inspiration in books like Good to Great, The Monk and the Riddle, and anything that Peter Drucker has ever written. I’ve read books on theories like Six Sigma and TQM, and on leaders like Larry Ellison and Jack Welch. Everyone has a theory, a principle, a practice they espouse.
So while there are some tried-and-true formulas for building a good company, it is not until knowledge becomes action that a company is born. Furthermore, the companies that I see succeeding are the ones that have leaders who believe in themselves. The ones who throw themselves into the blaze and use those principals they’ve learned to make their way through it.
Closers close – whether in sales, fund-raising, or real estate – and when they don’t, they don’t personalize it. They assess their weaknesses, learn how to break through, and eventually succeed.
Anyone with a library card has access to this information. The question is – do we let the pursuit of education be a excuse not to act, or an inspiration to act?
