Episode 7

Biblical Entrepreneurial Leadership Principles

Mentoring of Entrepreneurial Calling

For the flame of entrepreneurial calling for a “Cause” to burn continuously, it is important for the entrepreneur to apply his / her efforts to the mentoring of their co-workers (colleagues). To commence, the entrepreneur will search in-mind and soul for the faith, wisdom, perseverance and competency that will form the working foundation of the burning flame. With one of these missing, the burning flame may lose its momentum. Constant self-reminding, -learning, -re-learning, and renewal of faith will produce a great result in the outworking of the “Cause” to meet its goal. It is important for an entrepreneur to strengthen his temperament in innovative, risk-taking and leadership. A frequent embracing of that spirit of enthusiasm for the “Cause” may be needed, even though failure maybe guaranteed for the first or second attempt.

Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965) said, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” It takes a lot of courage and tenacity like the war time hero of Great Britain who failed his exams multiple times as a young student. So to commence means focussing one’s own mind on the desired end and to start with a clear understanding of the desired destiny or goal. This will provide a good understanding in knowing the way, going the way and leading the way with good understanding so that every step taken is always in the right direction and focus. Putting the faith in that understanding of destiny with wisdom, competency and perseverance will definitely seize up the realisation of that visualized reality.

Also, being the entrepreneur, a person is in the best position to teach personal discipline to many people working around him or her. He/she must lead by example, As Mahatma Gandhi (1863 – 1948) said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” This applies especially to a Christian business person, who should use this earned authority as an opportunity to inspire people to use their own spiritual gifts for ministry in the marketplace. Every organisation has its own core value system according to its mission and goal, which will distinctively set it apart from others. For its core value to be transmitted across the whole organization and internalized in every employee’s mind and soul, the entrepreneur should make concerted efforts and sacrifices to provide constant training and mentoring to every staff member of the organisation through its HR Department if there is one. In the long run, the desired core value of entrepreneur should be seen in the ethos of the whole organisation.  

When the organisation captures the DNA of that ethos, the heartbeat of the organisation will go a long way and turn its modus operandi into overdrive.  Such an organization will survive better in the case of unforeseen business crisis caused by external factors. Entrepreneurial mentorship is a long-haul process and the entrepreneur must apply hard work if he / she wishes to see their organization carrying an ethos branding. 

In the illustration of “The Vine and the Branches” of John 15:1-17, a Christian business entity can be portrayed as a living and growing organism.  Such an organic union of branches (the employees) with the vine (the entrepreneur) shows a good example of how both parts of the organisation can work together as one. Such a profound and dynamic relationship as this between will show common commitment to grow the organisation together despite unequal responsibility and roles played. Though Jesus used the expression “I in you and you in me”, it suggests more of the Theology of Soteriology, as it does apply in the context of Biblical Entrepreneurial mentoring, since entrepreneur and employees are mutually exclusive and accountable to one another in a healthy organization.

Spiritual Entrepreneurial Leadership

An entrepreneur is not born to be all knowing in the “start-up” of an entrepreneurship. In the Asian context, entrepreneurs generally seek deities for “protection” in the “start-up”. They either place idols at the main entrance of the workplace or setup an altar inside or outside it. They seek protection from the power of the deities so that the business will operate smoothly and be prosperous. These entrepreneurs believe that they need some form of deity. However, Christian entrepreneurs will emphasize trusting in the Lord for their entrepreneurial calling. Workplace blessing by inviting church members and Pastors to give prayer blessings is the connotation of inviting God to be part of the entrepreneurship.

Bear in mind that, Christian entrepreneurship is a calling which is Holy Spirit guided if it is understood as a genuine calling. The entire entrepreneurship would be mentored by Scripture in a moral obligation to the marketplace or society at large. Christian entrepreneurship must embrace leadership qualities and missional nature. Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506) said, “No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Saviour, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service.” An entrepreneur can be seen more than a leader because the former takes a much more critical and intensive role in management, organising, creativity and makes radical decisions sometimes in the face of crisis. God guided Moses to lead the entire Hebrew people to exit from the powerful Pharaoh’s Empire despite the Hebrews had been living and adopting Egyptian culture for four hundred years. How could this be possible in such a major and radical exodus? Moses was called not just being a leader, but also an entrepreneur to manage and oversee the survival of probably one million people who ventured out to the Promised Land, which was unseen to that generation. It was a tremendously high risk responsibility. The people led by Moses had no permanent footing, rather they kept moving from place to place in the desert lands with little water and practically no permanent food crops cultivation. Empowered by the Spirit of God, Moses trusted and obeyed God consistently (with some occasions of offending God’s will incidentally). He did everything God requested of him.

As a spiritual leadership with entrepreneurial qualities, Moses provided mentoring to his brother Aaron and the younger men like Joshua and Caleb to ensure that the generations of Hebrew people would fulfil the prophecy of possession of the Promised Land. Forty years in the desert was a long-haul training and teaching to the Hebrew people of all aspects of the Mosaic Law to survive the arduous exodus journey. In Deuteronomy, Moses preached three sermons seeking to answer the people’s questions. In the first sermon (Deut.1:6 – 4:43) he recounted the wondrous acts the Lord had performed on behalf of His people. In the second sermon (Deut. 4:44 - 28:68) he reiterated and expanded upon the Law of Yahweh. In the third sermon (Deut. 29:1 – 30:20) he led the new generation to renew the covenant that reflected the intimate relationship between Yahweh and His people.

Discussion Questions

1. As an entrepreneur when you see a potential co-worker has the great potential, would you be worry as a threat to your leadership?
2. How would see your value being an entrepreneurial mentor to the potential co-worker whom has no blood relationship with you?
3. What would it take for you to provide a genuine mentorship to your co-workers?