Entrepreneurship: A Valuable Experience for Life (by Barbara Bordow Osach)

In these times of great economic uncertainty, when fear and concern pervade the public conversation, many of us are confronted by the need to change the way we operate to preserve the lifestyle we have. Oddly, in our quest for security, our most valuable guidance comes from the operating practices of risk-takers: entrepreneurs.

No matter how you earn a living, having an experience of entrepreneurship, whether for extra spending money or for your bread and butter, teaches you ways to approach goals and obstacles that bring out the skills and attitudes needed to create opportunity and succeed in any venture. What does it take?

What does it take to have an entrepreneurial way of operating?

Uncertainty, risk and the possibility of failure make most people feel uncomfortable, but when old ways of operating no longer suffice, it's nearly impossible to take the actions to produce the results you want to achieve unless you come to grips with operating at risk, with faith and trust. As an entrepreneur, you always deal with uncertainty – the good idea you have may or may not produce the results you need and want. A successful entrepreneur confronts uncertainty and takes action anyway, even when he or she doesn't know how to do what needs to be done.

Regardless of the business you start, as an entrepreneur you quickly realize that you are responsible for everything, even things you delegate to others. You have a stake in the success of the enterprise, and where you engage other people, that means you have a stake in their success as well. Leadership is at the heart of entrepreneurship.

Take this entrepreneurial approach with your group at work, your volunteer committee, or sports teammates, and you'll be amazed at the ideas that start to flow, the work that gets accomplished, and the “can do” attitude that spreads throughout the team. And when you work with others this way, innovation and creativity flourish, and together you can solve problems you didn't know how to solve.

Note: This article is a contribution from Barbara Osach. She is an Author and lives in Connecticut. She has published several books and is an expert in leadership development, education, workforce development and financial literacy. She will be launching a new book shortly "Navigating the Mortgage Minefield : Your Complete Guide to Avoiding Costly Problems and Finding the Right Loan in Today's Market".