For Leap's Sake

Today is the day many of us in the United States  have set aside to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream.  Dr. King  set forth his dream on that fateful summer day back in August of 1963 with his “I Have A Dream” speech.

• His dream was about Equality – He hoped that everyone would be considered equal as heralded in the U.S. Constitution.
• His dream was about Brotherhood -  He hoped that the oppressed could one day sit down together with the oppressor in a bond of unity.
• His dream was about Freedom and Justice - He envisioned the day when places known for injustice and servitude would some day become just the opposite.
• His dream was about being judged on merits, not outward appearances
• King said his dream was deeply rooted in the “American Dream”.

Dr. King had a very powerful dream.  So much so, that his dream lives on today, nearly 50 years later.  Of course, there are discussions (and disagreements) about whether or not the dream has been fulfilled; about whether equality has been achieved, whether brotherhood is a possibility, whether freedom and justice have been served.

I believe that this debate will most likely never be settled.  I personally believe that the valleys will never be completely raised, the hills and mountains will never completely be made low, the rough places will never be made totally smooth, nor will the crooked path be made completely straight.

But you know what….THAT’S THE LIFE OF AN ENTREPRENEUR!

The question is this…Is your entrepreneurial dream big enough to see you through those tough times?

Entrepreneurship can help bring about equality because revenue and profits are, in some respects, the great equalizer.  There are very few people who will turn down your money because you are a different race, color, ethnicity, etc.  And conversely if you are truly bringing value to the marketplace, you will have many buyers of your products and services.

Furthermore, the prospect of increasing market share and revenues has caused more than one entrepreneur to sit down in the spirit of brotherhood with the competition to create joint ventures of all sorts! The phrase  “Co-opetition” was coined a few years ago to describe this phenomenon.

I also realize that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was promoting “jobs and freedom” on the day he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, but “freedom” is more closely aligned with “entrepreneurship” than with “jobs”.  You have to do what others tell you to do when on the job, while entrepreneurship allows self expression and the freedom to dream big!

SO HOW BIG IS YOUR DREAM?

Michael Gerber, the great ‘professor’ of entrepreneurship and author of the E-Myth series, wrote another book titled, Awakening the Entrepreneur Within: How Ordinary People Can Create Extraordinary Companies.  According to Mr. Gerber one of the main traits of an entrepreneur is that of “The Dreamer”.  We must have a dream that “moves us, consumes us” and “keeps us awake at night”.

The other book that comes to mind is Wintley Phipps’ book, THE POWER OF A DREAM The Inspiring Story of a Young Man’s Audacious Faith, where he talks about his unlikely journey from his childhood growing up in Trinidad to singing before presidents and heads of foreign governments.

You see, being and becoming an entrepreneur is not just about finances.  Not if you’re going to have any fun at it, any way!  Not if it’s going to feel almost like play time instead of work time.  It’s about creating something greater than yourself.  It’s about achieving a purpose for your life.  The money is just a byproduct of what you’re going to create!

As Phipps sang in his song:

“That’s the power of a dream!  So much power in your dream.  Can you feel it?  Can you feel it?”

Until next time…Geronimo!

Dino

P.S.

I haven’t forgotten about my discussion of Entrepreneurship & Emerging Leadership .  We’ll pick it up next time!