The Lonely gratifying journey of #entrepreneurs

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We hear everywhere that there is a before and an after Covid-19 for that the pandemic has revealed a strident need for freedom and bonding across the world. Within families. Outside homes. Within teams. Across workplaces.

Being an entrepreneur at that time- and still today- I do trust it has just uncovered the lonely gratifying journey of entrepreneurs.

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#lovemyjob…..

Most of authors having written on the matter highlight that the entrepreneurial journey is both attractive for the world of opportunities it proposes and very stressful for the uncertainty that goes with them (McGrath and MacMillan, 2000).

For having been in the change arena for almost 20 years, I do trust that, with a bit of care and education on what frightens us, uncertainty can be dealt with. Even more visible in our young entrepreneurs attitude: Millennials and GenZ have paved the way to uncertainty handling and business resilience.

Let’s observe them a bit closer: what is their drive? More than passion it is bonding, friendship, and connections. And, above all, they are in line with their identity values (Burke, 2015) and protect them through a dynamic interpersonal ecosystem.

But is this enough ?

Yet, the business shape has changed and for older generations it may be more complicated for that they have rooted their values of success in performance and drive….. alone. Lead by the example.

In my lectures to Master students and Execs, I keep saying that we, the X generation, are the sacrificed generation for that we try to manage all alone and focus on business performance rather than self-achievement…. While markets and business being very versatile and focusing on buying experiences rather than products, entrepreneurs experience discrepancies between their initial goals and their perceived performance (Zhu et Al, 2023). Hence, this is very much influencing their decision to exit their entrepreneurial life or not.

Self regulation could be a key to build a satisfying view of the entrepreneurial success (Lord et al 2010) and build a work-life balance which makes the business sustainable.

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Self-regulation not the key, redefine inner self-actualization may be

On my side, self regulation is a nonsense and could never be achieved for that it is not the time I devote to my work which is important but the sense of learning AND belonging which I gain out of the work that I do.

Entrepreneurs are passionate and so I am. Out of the 3 types of entrepreneurial passions that Cardon et Al define (Cardon et Al, 2009) I recognize myself as passionate for developing. Developing knowledge and know-how, developing projects with creativity and altruism, transforming the group dynamics and the worldviews. But in my consulting or training business, I dearly miss my attachment to a business family and the communitarian aspect of the expertise.

To whom can entrepreneurs discuss a doubt or a discovery? In the former they could be perceived as losers, in the latter they could be afraid to get their ideas stolen… ?too small to develop quick.

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My success rooted in bonding ….

I like to define myself as a #transformation enabler, tech curious and boldness pollinator, but what resonates above all in my day-to-day drive is rooted in my passion for people, to the same extent I have passion for data, AI and marketing. From there, where does the sense of achievement lie? Turnover? Number of clients? Meeting people? Or just co-create and grow friendship in the long run?

It is about time we acknowledged that entrepreneurs, as strong and resilient as they can be, deserve moments of inclusion and sharing.