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elsewhere are frequently little more than a conversation in line for lunch and few
walls separate those who write the code from those who write the checks. This highly
communicative environment fosters a productivity and camaraderie fueled by the
realization that millions of people rely on Google results. Leadership at Google
amounts to a deep belief that if you give the proper tools to a group of people who
like to make a difference, they will.
Views on Managers Versus Leaders
My definition of a leader…is a man who can persuade people to do what they
don’t want to do, or do what they’re too lazy to do, and like it.
Harry S. Truman (1884–1972), 33rd president of the United States
You cannot manage men into battle. You manage things; you lead people.
Grace Hopper (1906–1992), Admiral, U.S. Navy
Managers have subordinates—leaders have followers.
Chester Bernard (1886–1961), former executive and author of Functions of
the Executive
The first job of a leader is to define a vision for the organization…Leadership
is the capacity to translate vision into reality.
Warren Bennis (1925–), author and leadership scholar
A manager takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people
where they don’t necessarily want to go but ought to.
Rosalynn Carter (1927–), First Lady of the United States, 1977–1981
Entrepreneurship
It’s fitting that this section on entrepreneurship follows the discussion of
Google. Entrepreneurship is defined as the recognition of opportunities (needs, wants,
problems, and challenges) and the use or creation of resources to implement
innovative ideas for new, thoughtfully planned ventures. Perhaps this is obvious, but
an entrepreneur is a person who engages in the process of entrepreneurship. We
describe entrepreneurship as a process because it often involves more than simply
coming up with a good idea—someone also has to convert that idea into action. As an
example of both, Google’s leaders suggest that its point of distinction “is anticipating
needs not yet articulated by our global audience, then meeting them with products
and services that set new standards. This constant dissatisfaction with the way things
are is ultimately the driving force behind the world’s best search engine.”
[3]
Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship are the catalysts for value creation. They
identify and create new markets, as well as foster change in existing ones. However,
such value creation first requires an opportunity. Indeed, the opportunity-driven
nature of entrepreneurship is critical. Opportunities are typically characterized as
problems in search of solutions, and the best opportunities are big problems in search
of big solutions. “The greater the inconsistencies in existing service and quality, in
lead times and in lag times, the greater the vacuums and gaps in information and
knowledge, the greater the opportunities.” In other words, bigger problems will
[4]
often mean there will be a bigger market for the product or service that the
entrepreneur creates. We hope you can see why the problem-solving, opportunity-
seeking nature of entrepreneurship is a fundamental building block for effective
principles of management.
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