Entrepreneurial leaders lead differently, so how can they be their best?
Scott N. Taylor, professor of organizational behavior and the Arthur M. Blank Endowed Chair for Values-Based Leadership at The Blank School at Babson College, suggests a strategy.
Scott N. Taylor is a professor of organizational behavior and the Arthur M. Blank Endowed Chair for Values-Based Leadership at The Blank School at Babson College. He is also a research fellow with the Coaching Research Lab at Case Western Reserve University, and a core member of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations (CREIO).
The primary focus of his research is leader assessment and development. As a result, his research has focused on competency development (especially emotional and social competence), leader self-awareness, 360-degree feedback assessment, executive coaching, gender, and sustainable individual change.
A Conceptual Model of Entrepreneurial Leadership
Until now, entrepreneurial leadership has not been defined or differentiated from traditional leadership theories. My co-authors and I have devoted years to conducting research to create a distinct model for this unique type of leadership.
Through analyzing existing leadership development research and firsthand experience training hundreds of executives, we propose entrepreneurial leadership as a concept that blends leadership and entrepreneurship to enable leaders and their teams to recognize and pursue innovative opportunities. Unlike traditional leadership styles, entrepreneurial leadership is focused on fostering collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility between leaders and followers. Drawing from self-determination theory, our model emphasizes satisfying three innate human needs—autonomy, relatedness, and competence—to intrinsically motivate followers to act entrepreneurially.
The unique skills of entrepreneurial leaders allow them to build meaningful relationships with their followers, inspire creativity, and support risk-taking behaviors. Unlike traditional leadership approaches, which often emphasize hierarchy and structure, entrepreneurial leaders focus on flexibility, adaptability, and encouraging entrepreneurial thought and action.
Emotional, cognitive, and hormonal functions play an essential role in unleashing human potential in others. Positive emotions, empathetic brain networks, and parasympathetic nervous system activation enhance relational focus, creativity, and openness, while negative emotions and stress-related responses inhibit these capabilities, highlighting the entrepreneurial leader’s need for balance and adaptability.
The leader-follower dynamic is central to entrepreneurial leadership, with the leader’s mindset and emotional intelligence playing a critical role in fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.
Our proposed conceptual model argues that entrepreneurial leadership is a relational process, not just a set of traits. Leaders and followers work together to identify opportunities, share ideas, and take action in uncertain environments. Ultimately, entrepreneurial leadership encourages proactive, innovative, and risk-taking behavior, making it essential for both startups and established organizations aiming to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
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