The Leader (Entrepreneur)
This is the role most frequently associated with being an entrepreneur. A leader has a clear picture of the future and inspires others to share it. Vision and passion drive the creation of a new business.
The Manager
This role is essential to take the dream and make it into a world class business. There are two distinct types: business and people.
A great people manager is a catalyst to get the maximum results from people in alignment with business goals. Great people management is a talent that is not always learnable.
A business manager handles the building of the business (systems, processes, etc.). This is the critical entrepreneurial function.
The Doer or Technician
This is what you are when you are doing the work of the business. The work of the business is the delivery of the product or service that customers pay for and includes all the supporting roles including sales and marketing.
The Three Faces of an Entrepreneur
A great entrepreneur must be all three, or partner with others. The trick is to balance them appropriately at any point in time.
The problem is many people end up closer to the "doer".
The other problem is that they all require vastly different skills. Some would argue that they also require different core talents (which are not easily learn-able).
Whether you have to pull them all off yourself, or you have the luxury of partners or hiring; failing to understand and separate the roles will cause you grief.
