Entrepreneurial skills in a Christian context

Have you ever started something new? something new? 1.What was it? 2.What was the process?

Ephesians 4; apostles = entrepreneur prophet = questioner evangelist = communicator pastor = humaniser teacher = systematizer Frost and Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to come.p175

Missionary Entrepreneur

‘ This 10 to 15 % of the population should be the leaven that affects the whole.The leaven is not able to do ‘ This 10 to 15 % of the population should be the leaven that affects the whole. The leaven is not able to do its job because our institutions and bureaucratic systems prevent it. The problem lies deep. Our education system are all too often learning regimes rather than talent spotters or developers. Our institutions stifle entrepreneurial initiative.’ p4

‘Releasing the entrepreneurial talent among Gods people is the greatest task facing the church today. It is the Entrepreneur Imperative’ p4

‘A person who habitually creates and innovates to build something of recognised value around perceived opportunities. p12 they are people they are people habitualhabitual creative and innovativecreative and innovative buildersbuilders build something of valuebuild something of value build using opportunitiesbuild using opportunities

The Five Habits of Highly Innovative Leaders

QuestioningObservingNetworkingExperimenting Associational Thinking /

confident confident decisivedecisive energeticenergetic disrupt status quodisrupt status quo visionaryvisionary risk takerrisk taker not give upnot give up ‘ The essence of entrepreneurial behaviour is risk taking.’ risk taking.’ p38

Questions for discussion? In what way could you describe God as an entrepreneur, if entrepreneurs create? Who are the great entrepreneurs of the Bible?

Two ways of seeing entreprenurship

Recipe Approach, causal thinking Jim Collins

Great to good

Good to great

Question for discussion? What do you make of this theory about entrepreneurship? What parts of this might help you in your ministry?

Fridge Approach, effectuation thinking Saras Sarasvathy /

1.They really wanted to do this 2.They begin by taking a small step 3.They stop to see what they have learned. 4.They take another step Act-learn-build-act…………. Act-learn-build-act…………. ‘ Entrepreneurs thrive on contingency. The best ones improvise their way to an outcome that in retrospect feels ordained.’

Effectuation organisational mindset –objectives, strategic plans, timelines –love market research pioneering mindset –start with what you have got –collaborative –experimental –objectives arise from experience –prefer to network than do market research both are valid – in the right context Saras Sarasvathy, Effectuation, 2008

Question for discussion? What do you make of this theory about entrepreneurship? What parts of this might help you in your ministry? Are there common threads between the two theories.

A Vision from failure The process of trial and error is essential 1.Try new things 2.Make failure survivable 3.Know when you have failed

Pioneering teams ‘ one of the great myths of entrepreneurship has been the notion if the leader as a lone hero… The reality is that successful entrepreneurs either built teams about them or were part of a team throughout.’ Thomas Cooney, What is an Entrepreneurial Team

How do we see the role of the leader ? General on a hill General on a hill Make sense of what is happening Make sense of what is happening ‘ Leadership is not in a leader or done by a leader. Leadership is an emergent event, an outcome of interactions between individuals.

1.Focus on goals rather than internal processes 2.Deal with generalities rather than specifics 3.Leader can control their team. Three temptations

1.Diversity 2.Responsiveness 3.Associative Capacity. Three requirements

Social entrepreneurship A blending of a business model with mission. Innovative solutions to social problems which yield and sustain social benefits

How we make decisions in a fast changing environment

cynefin

1.Vision is too small 2.Vision is too generic 3.Implementation is too restrictive 4.Methods are too safe. Seth McBee