Recently, someone asked me about why so many successful entrepreneurs are, well, abnormal. To be clear, there are many entrepreneurs who exhibit the traits of sociopaths, apparently lacking in morality or empathy. We could debate Steve Jobs or Larry Ellison or now Travis Kalanick of Uber, but they are out there in numbers, and the Silicon Valley venture capital community is increasingly coming under the spotlight for supporting such atrocious behavior. But, even when driven by more healthy forms of motivation and ethics, it does strike me that really accomplished entrepreneurs all have a sort delusional belief in doing things that most people would find absurd or crazy. Ed Catmull of Pixar for many years dreamed of making the first full length digital film, ten years before the technology was ready. People thought he was crazy. Wendy Kopp determined she would start a national teaching program in high schools around America at the ripe age of 21. And, now, Larry Page of Google is venturing the company in all kinds of fields -- from medicine to cars to robotics. Do we call this ego? I dont want to speak for the Dalai Lama, but I think it would qualify. To believe in a vision that seems impossible seems to me a hallmark of great entrepreneurship, and when its done with strong leadership and ethics, companies can be truly built to last. What do you think?
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 18:37:19 +0000
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