Can You Be An Entrepreneur Without Owning A Business?

When you hear the word “entrepreneur” what automatically comes to mind? Perhaps it’s one of those wildly successful guys like Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk, or maybe it’s the image of someone who gets to live life on their own terms. Either way, you probably associate entrepreneurship with those who found/own companies and not with those who work for them. This is usually how most people understand entrepreneurship, but I think this definition is way too narrow. Instead, we should focus on a more inclusive and empowering conception of entrepreneurship as being about personal ownership rather than just company ownership.

Entrepreneurship as a Personal Ownership Mindset

What got me thinking about a more broad understanding of entrepreneurship is this stat:

-70 percent of U.S. workers are not engaged or actively disengaged at work. (Gallup)

What explains this trend and how can it be addressed? For starters, I think the answer is tied to society’s celebration of entrepreneurship. We honor these people because we consider the pursuit of dreams to be admirable. We respect their motivation and determination and we value the fact that they have full equity ownership of their successes. But mainly, I think we delight in entrepreneurship because consciously or unconsciously we believe that those who work for themselves are simply more happy and self-fulfilled than those who work for others. Could this explain why employees are not engaged at work?

If so, does it mean that to reach the apex of happiness and engagement we should all work for ourselves? Does it mean that we should give in to the beat of the social drum telling us things like: “Why quitting a great job was the best decision” or “Make this the year you finally start your own startup”? I would argue that the answer is no. Regardless of whether you’ve started your own businesses or work for an established company, you always work for yourself.

In fact, entrepreneurship begins well before business ownership. It begins with personal ownership of yourself and your career.

Recognizing that entrepreneurship is a mindset gets to the crux of why so many workers are disengaged at work. Sure we can blame bosses and businesses for not creating empowering and motivating work cultures, but ultimately we as individuals are responsible for our own happiness and self-fulfillment.

Become an Entrepreneur

So what could taking personal ownership and becoming an entrepreneur look like? Well to bring the energy and passion associated with entrepreneurship into your daily workflow, you need to change your frame of mind and start thinking about the “big motivation picture”. In his book, “Drive”, Daniel Pink lists three elements of the motivation formula: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

1) Find autonomy

Running our own show is our natural inclination. Studies have shown that choice over how to do things resulted in improved job satisfaction and better job performance. Look for more autonomy at work by showing that you think deeply about the success of your organization. Try asking yourself:

-How can I add value to my organization as a whole?

-How do I fit into the grand scheme of things and how can I personally contribute to my organization’s battle against the competition?

-What problems does my organization face and how can they be solved?

-What industry developments are relevant to my organization and how can they be harnessed?

-What innovations and opportunities could contribute to the growth of my organization?

2) Find Mastery

Deep down inside most of us want to learn and grow. We want to get better at we we do and we want to feel a sense of progress and accomplishment. Try asking yourself:

-Am I looking for opportunities to grow at my current organization?

-Do these opportunities exist?

-Have I talked to my boss about them?

3) Find Purpose

Without a doubt, those who are able to find purpose in their work unlock the highest level motivation. In his book Pink outlines that the most significant motivation comes from connection to a cause larger than ourselves. It sounds cliche but the person who gets out of bed every morning smiling is the person who believes in what he does.

Think about the happiest people you know and I’m sure that you will quickly recognize that their passion is tied to a deep sense of purpose whether they are doing things like providing stimulating learning environments for students or working towards providing the best customer experiences possible. Try asking yourself:

-What's the big picture and how is what I’m doing connected to some higher purpose?

-Is my work making a social impact?

Successful founders/owners have figured out the importance of these three elements. They have taken personal ownership by making the effort to create a life where autonomy, mastery and purpose can thrive. So instead of dwelling on the notion that your boss calls the shots, start thinking like a business owner by being proactive instead of reactive. Companies like the one you work for are desperately looking for innovation, so if you choose to be an entrepreneur by taking personal ownership there will be no shortage of reward for your good ideas.

At the end of the day, entrepreneurship is about taking real ownership of yourself and your career by challenging yourself to think big and get motivated. The fact that you haven’t founded a company shouldn’t be a reason to feel unfulfilled or disengaged. Take control and I’m confident that the happiness, motivation and self-fulfillment that has come to be associated with the word “entrepreneur” will be within your reach.

Originally posted on: hunterandcraft.com

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Matthew Castel is an interdisciplinarian, explorer, problem solver and value seeker. His goal is to develop solutions to help businesses and individuals achieve their goals in today's digital economy.

He writes about investing, entrepreneurship, business and leadership. He also writes about his own personal experiences in all aspects of his life; learning through his core values of growth, purpose, empowerment and mindfulness.

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