The New Entrepreneurial Leader: Developing Leaders Who Shape Social and Economic Opportunity

Inyearspast,thekeywordsforleaderswereconfidence,single-mindedpurpose,andstrategicplanning.Buttoday’svastlycomplex,globalized,andfast-evolvingworldrequiresadifferentkindofleadership.Thisgame-changingbookdetailsanewapproach—entrepreneurialleadership—developedatBabsonCollege,thenumber-oneschoolforentrepreneurshipintheworld.Entrepreneurialleadershipisinspiredby,butisseparatefrom,entrepreneurship.Itisaleadershipapproachthatcanbeappliedinanyorganizationalsituation,notjuststart-ups.Basedontwoyearsofextensiveresearch,itembracesthreeprinciplesthatadduptonothinglessthanafundamentallynewworldviewofbusinessandanewlogicofdecisionmaking.Theauthorsdiscoveredthatrapidchangeandincreasinguncertaintyrequireleaderstobe“cognitivelyambidextrous,”abletoshiftbetweentraditional“predictionlogic”(choosingactionsbasedonanalysisofknowntrends)and“creationlogic”(takingactiondespiteconsiderableunknowns).Guidingthisdifferentwayofthinkingandactingisadifferentworldviewofbusinessandsociety,wheresimultaneouscreationofsocial,environmental,andeconomicvalueistheorderoftheday.Entrepreneurialleadersalsoleveragetheirunderstandingofthemselvesandtheirsocialcontexttoguideeffectiveaction.PraiseforTheNewEntrepreneurialLeader“TheBabsonteamcrackedthecodeonglobalentrepreneurialleadershipforthe21stcentury.Theirthreeprinciples—cognitiveambidexterity,responsibilityandsustainability,andself-andsocialawareness—arethebedrockforwinningonthecompetitiveglobalplayingfieldoftomorrow.Aconceptuallysoundandverypracticalguidebookforleadershipsuccess.”—NoelTichy,ProfessorandDirector,GlobalCitizenshipInitiative,UniversityofMichigan,andcoauthorofJudgment(withWarrenBennis)“Helpsusunderstandtheimperativefordevelopingleaderswhocreatebotheconomicandsocialvalue.Importantly,thisbookoffersablueprintforhoweducatorsacrossthecurriculumcanpreparestudentstohavethevisionandabilityrequiredtoachieveintegratedvalue.”—NancyMcGaw,DeputyDirector,BusinessandSocietyProgram,AspenInstitute“Preciselywhatourturbulentanduncertainenvironmentrequires:anewleaderwithgoodself-knowledgeandpassion,abletoreconciletheapparentcontradictions(intheyin-and-yangtraditionoftheChinese)broughtbycomplexity.Themodelwillbeasourceofinspiration,andaction,forallthoseconcernedaboutleadershiptoday.”—Henri-ClaudedeBettignies,EmeritusProfessorofLeadershipandResponsibility,INSEAD,andEmeritusProfessorofGlobalResponsibleLeadership,CEIBS“WorkingwithBabsonCollege,we’veseenhowitsentrepreneurialapproachtomanagementeducationcanunlockthegrowthandjob-creationpotentialofsmallbusinessesacrosstheUnitedStates.TheNewEntrepreneurialLeaderisamust-readforanyonewhoisinterestedinpositioningAmericanstudentsandbusinessesownersasthecornerstonesofthiscountry’seconomicrecovery.”—DinaPowell,GlobalHeadofCorporateEngagementandPresidentoftheGoldmanSachsFoundation,GoldmanSachsGroup“Asbusinessschoolsreconsidertheirpointofarrivalandtheirfuturedestinations,TheNewEntrepreneurialLeaderprovidesavocabularyandconceptualroadmapforthoseinstitutionsthatconsiderentrepreneurshipandinnovationasthewayforward.Thebookbothprovidesatoolboxandshowsthepowerofacorefocusonentrepreneurshipindevelopingadistinctiveeducationalprogramthathasimplicationsforallbusinessschools.”—RakeshKhurana,MarvinBowerProfessorofLeadershipDevelopment,HarvardBusinessSchool,andauthorofFromHigherAimstoHiredHands“Thisbookisanexemplarofthenewwaveofthinkingabouthowtodevelopthenextgenerationofentrepreneurs,leaders,andmanagersforthe21stcentury.Thediscussionisframedbytractableconceptsandisgroundedinpracticalapplication.Youwillgainavaluableperspectiveonwhatmattersandhowtodelivertransformationallearningtostudents.”—RobertF.Bruner,DeanandCharlesC.AbbottProfessorofBusinessAdministration,DardenSchoolofBusiness,UniversityofVirginia,andauthorofDealsfromHell“Inaworldoverwhelmedwithproblems,wedesperatelyneedmoreentrepreneurialproblemsolvers—whetherthat’syoungpeoplestartingcompaniesfromscratchorchangeagentsinsidebigcompanieslaunchingbreakthroughinitiatives.ThisremarkablebookshowcasesthenewestthinkingfromBabsonCollege,oneoftheworld’smost-admiredcentersofentrepreneurialeducation,abouttwotimelessquestions:whatmakesentrepreneursspecial,andwhatarethemosteffectivewaystoteachaspiringentrepreneurstosucceed?Thebesteducationdoesn’tjusttellyouwhatyouneedtoknow;itchangeshowyouthink.Thispowerfulbookdoesjustthat.”—WilliamC.Taylor,cofounderandFoundingEditor,FastCompany,andauthorofPracticallyRadical“InTheNewEntrepreneurialLeader,Babsonextendsitsownleadershipinmanagementeducation.Indeed,thisbookeffectivelyarguesthat21st-centurymanagementrequiresentrepreneurialleadership.Largercompaniesshouldrequirethisbookforeveryexecutive.”—StephenSpinelli,President,PhiladelphiaUniversity,andcofounder,JiffyLubeInternational“Morethanthirtyyearsago,BabsonCollegewasthefirstinstitutiontoteachentrepreneurshipasadiscipline,andonceagain,withthepublicationofTheEntrepreneurialLeader,Babsonhasdemonstratedthatitisaninnovatorinmanagementeducation.Thisisathought-provokingbookthatprovidesverypracticalinsightsonwaystoteachfutureentrepreneurshowtothinkandactmorecriticallyandanalytically,striveforgreaterself-andsocialawareness,andachieveoutstandingresults.”—WilliamD.Green,Chairman,Accenture“Thisbookprovidesavisionfordevelopingleaderswhoaspiretocreatesocial,environmental,andeconomicvaluesimultaneously.Itofferspracticaladviceonhowtotransformmanagementeducationtorealizethisvision.”—LizC.Maw,ExecutiveDirector,NetImpact“Thisisabookthatwaslongoverdue...thechaptersthatdiscussthechallengesofdefiningmetricsforCSRandthedifficultyoflinkingCSRtocorporatesocialperformance(CSP)havethepotentialtoimpactthecontentofourbusinesscurriculum.”—Dr.NoreanSharpe,AssociateDean,UndergraduatePrograms,McDonoughSchoolofBusiness,GeorgetownUniversity“Reinventionisessentialandmustbedonewithgutsandinavigorousmanner.InTheNewEntrepreneurialLeader,youwillfindaviableapproachtoreinventmanagementeducation.Thisbookisamust-readforallwhorun,teachin,orplantoattendabusinessschool.”—KevinC.Desouza,AssociateProfessorandDirector,InstituteforInnovationinInformationManagement,UniversityofWashington,andauthorofIntrapreneurship“ThisbookbuildsonBabson'sthirtyyearsofpioneeringresearchingandteachingentrepreneurship.Itchallengesconventionalbusinesseducationbyarguingconvincinglythattheentrepreneurialmindsetiskeytosuccessinourincrediblycomplexworld—notjustforentrepreneursbutalsoformanagers,whethertheyoperateinbusinessesornonprofitorganizations,inhighlyadvancedorinemergingeconomies.Itisamust-buybook.”—GuyPfeffermann,CEOandChairmanoftheBoard,GlobalBusinessSchoolNetwork