S.I.C.K.L.E: Strategy, Innovation, Collaboration, Knowledge, Leadership and Energy

Entrepreneurship is the spirit of creativity. It is the process of the ‘spirit’ (innovation) and the spirit of process (organisation). It is the ability to organise and harmonise innovation for social and economic impacts.

“I am energised when I see creativity, hard work and intelligence.” – Joy Basu, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

Possibilities are responsibilities. Entrepreneurship is the ability to envision possibilities and undertake responsibilities. Imagination without implementation is a waste of inspiration. Entrepreneurs are inspired individuals who think creatively and act strategically in their quest to take advantage of an opportunity. Every opportunity comes with a responsibility. People, nations and organisations miss opportunities because they are unable to take responsibility. Entrepreneurship is about harnessing potentials, harmonising possibilities and harvesting opportunities. Turning a creative idea into a lucrative opportunity requires strategy, innovation, collaboration, knowledge, leadership and energy. Sustainable economic transformation is possible when entrepreneurship is practiced with “SICKLE.”

Strategy – “A vision without a strategy remains an illusion.” – Lee G. Bolman. This quote emphasises the essential link between vision and strategy in achieving meaningful and tangible outcomes. It suggests that having a vision alone, without a well-defined and actionable strategy, is insufficient and ultimately leads to unrealised dreams or goals. Strategy without process is little more than a wish list. Businesses hardly succeed without a plan. Entrepreneurship is about planning conscientiously and continuously. Plans are worthless; planning is everything! Ideas only rule the world when they are well planned out and implemented. Decisions decide destiny. Entrepreneurs are quick but thoughtful and tactful when it comes to decision-making. Jim Rohn once said, “Don’t start the day until you have it finished. According to a research by the University of Oregon, businesses that plan, grow 30 percent quicker than those that do not. This study indicated that while many firms can succeed in the short term without a plan, those with a plan grew quicker and overall, were more successful than those without one.

Innovation – Creativity is the bedrock of innovation and entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is about problem-solving, innovation, value-creation, opportunity-finding and technology application (PIVOT). Innovation on the other hand, is the ability to apply creative solutions to problems and opportunities to enhance or to enrich people’s lives. Innovation is creativity aided by technology. Integrating technology for innovation and efficiency is essential for rapid and sustainable economic growth. The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Joy Basu has recently emphasised the importance of young people leveraging on opportunities around them to innovate and become better and successful entrepreneurs. There are thousands of chips and microchips in the integrated circuits used in most computers today. It is the integration of all these components that makes the integrated circuit a very powerful technology. Your creative ability depends heavily on how much past experiences you could bring into the creation of a new or improved product. This idea of integration highlights the importance of having useful experience in various fields. It is easier and much better to innovate or invent when you have a diverse range of knowledge and expertise. This is because you are bringing in opinions and perspectives from different fields and synchronising them to create a wholesome solution. Creativity is simply connecting the dots in diverse many ways possible, in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), systems (transportation, telecommunication), etc. You must be able to connect seemingly unrelated ideas into a single effective one. The greatest entrepreneurs are the ones who create meaning out of rather meaningless things. For example, the legendary entrepreneur, Steve Jobs, was able to instill the idea of quality designs into the MacBook and iPhone as a result of a calligraphy class he stumbled upon in college. By connecting art to technology, Apple Inc. has set itself apart from other companies.

Collaboration – “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” – Henry Ford. Entrepreneurship is about solving problems together in partnership. “We cannot solve the world’s problems without Africa.” – Joy Basu

Qualitative and transformative changes happen when initiators (thought leaders) are in a collaborative venture with innovators (thoughtful entrepreneurs).

Knowledge – If you cannot read, think! If you cannot think, read! “Knowledge is not power; it is only potential power. To obtain knowledge requires effort; to turn knowledge into power requires more effort still.” Knowledge drives innovation while innovation drives productivity. A baptism into knowledge requires humility and open-mindedness. Developing economies striving for growth can learn from developed and thriving economies. Evolving businesses can take a cue from evolved and established organizations. Aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from inspiring and successful innovators.

Leadership – Without ignition, there is no recognition. What vision is to leadership is what innovation is to entrepreneurship. An entrepreneur is a leader; he sets the pace! An entrepreneur is a thinker; he resets the space. The entrepreneurial spirit is characterised by creativity, positivity, possibility-thinking and risk-taking. An entrepreneur is resolute, firm, single-minded, purposeful and strong-willed. In 2021, the U.S. Government received 5.4 million new business applications. It is hard to say how many of them will succeed. If anything, these new ventures are evidence of the strong entrepreneurial spirit in America. Entrepreneurial leaders are visionary innovators.

Energy – The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines energy as “the ability to put effort and enthusiasm into an activity, work, etc.” Energy is also the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity. Strategy or knowledge without energy is like a gun without a bullet. “To know and not to act is not to know.” – Wang Yangming. Harnessing potentials, experience and networks to build a successful business requires both the energy of vision (passion) and vision of energy (power). Energy is to entrepreneurship, what the internet is to information technology. Energy is to entrepreneurship, what electricity is to industrialisation.

Industry is not built staying indoors, roll up your sleeves and get the job done! Everything rises and falls on strategy, innovation, collaboration, knowledge, leadership and energy.

 

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