Future Proof
Spotting the
advantage
“It’s not a question
of technical skill, but
more an issue of
creativity”
Paul Kirkham
Researcher in the field of
entrepreneurial creativity, Nottingham
University Business School
Exactly what constitutes an entrepreneur has
long been a source of debate. The public tends
to conceive entrepreneurs as being dynamic
and vastly successful businesswomen or
businessmen, most likely operating in a high-tech
sector. A more grounded definition is that anyone
with the ability to recognise opportunities and
deliver value through invention and innovation
qualifies as an entrepreneur. This being so, how
do we identify entrepreneurs?
Our research at Nottingham University
Business School has repeatedly shown the
cognitive capacity that enables individuals to
make novel connections and foresee prospects
and advantages within business settings can be
developed in anyone.
Background is irrelevant. We’re not talking
about an intangible, inexplicable gift bestowed
on a lucky few. Appropriate training – including
interacting with suitable mentors, lessons in
how to surmount obstacles to innovation and the
freedom to ‘bounce ideas around’ – can genuinely
boost creativity and the capability to appreciate
and maximise opportunities. Effectively, one’s
‘mental frame’ can be honed.
Thinking outside
the box
Etienne Krieger
Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship
and Innovation, HEC Paris business school
Some people are gifted with an entrepreneurial
mindset, and an outstanding ability to execute
new ideas; for example, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk
and Richard Branson. To be a successful,
innovative, entrepreneur, you have to think
“out of the box” as much as possible. Some
entrepreneurs love this challenge, whereas
others are better off with stable benchmarks.
It’s not a question of technical skill, which can
be built through experience or education, but
more an issue of creativity, which may also be
developed through education.
This kind of difference exists between very
talented craftsmen and true artists. Some people
are ultimate technical experts but are unable to
think differently or break the rules, which is the
characteristic of a true entrepreneur.
Issue 1 - 2017
61