Entrepreneurs are different. Non entrepreneurs might think they’re weird. But being weird can make all the difference in the world when it comes to being a leader, especially a leader who is an entrepreneur.
So what is the difference?
Some might think it’s money, but there have been plenty of entrepreneur leaders who didn’t have any money and were successful. In fact, their money came after they became successful. So what was the difference? The difference is how these entrepreneurs spent their time.
A well know entrepreneur leader is Thomas Edison. When he decided to accomplish something, he focused on the task at hand and kept working at it until it worked. Most of us have heard about Edison and the light bulb. It took him 1 ½ years to get a light bulb to burn for 13 ½ hrs. But what makes this achievement great, was not the light bulb itself, but the electric lighting system he developed that made “incandescent light practical, safe, and economical”. That’s a leader, and a visionary, for you.
The point is that Edison had a clear sense of what he wanted to achieve, and he spent his time doing the things that would get him there. He didn’t let failed attempts stop him. He persisted until “there was light.”
Most of us don’t have the luxury of spending every waking moment on our business like Edison did on his inventions. Let’s face it, life is still going on and it’s not going to stop just because you have something to achieve.
The key then is to make the most of the time you do have. And the secret of making the most of your time is concentration of purpose: only do those high-yield activities that lead to progress. That is what leadership is all about.
Analyze everything you do. A high yield activity is something that moves you toward reaching your goal. Make it a priority. If the activity doesn’t move you closer to your goal, then it’s is a waste of your precious time, so don’t do it (at least not during your focus time). Give yourself permission to let it go for now, relax, and focus on the priority.
And don’t let distractions interfere. If you need to, readjust your schedule so you can focus and concentrate.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that time is money. Time is time and money is money. All that money can really do is shorten the time to achieve something. But real leaders understand that time is more valuable. They understand that time is the real difference maker.
If you’re fortunate to have the money to help get your entrepreneurial endeavors off to a great start, great. Use the money to get you to your goal in a shorter amount of time. But if you don’t, then time is all you have to spend. Spend it wisely.
21. March 2010 at 5:24 pm
Hey Toki,
I often find myself in the middle of reading some random email and saying to myself, “Why am I reading this?” and quickly getting back on track with those tasks that are on “purpose”. But it is so easy to get distracted and thinking we are working that we need to be reminded to stay on course as you do in your post.
You are right about time and money, I have had employees think that their time is valuable but when I ask them how many groceries they can get from the store if they just spend time there they begin to understand that time is not money. Producing a valuable product can be exchanged for money (or groceries). This is what is promoted by most “jobs” because people get paid by the hour instead of by what they produce, it is hard to get out of that mind-set.
Jan
27. March 2010 at 8:24 am
I stumbled onto your blog and read a few posts. I like your style of writing.
6. April 2010 at 3:59 pm
Toki,
I agree, you are right about time and money, and your great site, which I thank you for, is right about all things digital. But you’re wrong about the fierce driving force behind Edison’s commitment to his limited DC electrical system.
The driving force was revealed when Nikola Tesla, proposed jointly developing an AC system. Edison refused, because, as Wikipedia put it, “Edison was not inclined to lose all his patent royalties.”
In 1893, a few years later, the Chicago World Fair hired Tesla to power the exhibition with his new AC system, which he created for Westinghouse. Edison was so enraged that he refused to provide incandescent light bulbs, hoping to smack down Tesla and sabotage the Fair. In response, Tesla invented the florescent bulb, which lit the fair and, in my opinion, illuminated Edison’s true character.
15. April 2010 at 7:36 pm
Hi there Toki – I totally agree. That is pretty much how I view it. Cheers!
15. April 2010 at 9:14 pm
Hey Toki,
Useful information like this one must be kept and maintained so I will put this one on my bookmark list! Thanks for this wonderful post and hoping to post more of this!
Lakeshia
17. April 2010 at 5:04 am
Hey… thanks for that. Fantastic idea. I’ll be coming back when I can for more news. Cheers!