Revolutionising economic growth in South Africa through entrepreneurial leadership

Abstract

The recommended national strategy for entrepreneurial development with the South African centre for entrepreneurial leadership as driver of the strategy will create central coordination of entrepreneurial development in South Africa. It will ensure government and private sector involvement, and enable aligned commitment. What currently looks like a sandstorm could change to order and structure. There will no longer be dancing to the beat of one's own drum, but rather a synchronised rhythm that allows all stakeholders to dance to the same beat. The most critical part of the strategy, however, is government's buy-in. Without it the status quo will unfortunately be sustained. As custodian of South Africa's economic growth, the government will ultimately be the key player to make the recommended strategy work. Everything rises and falls on leadership (Maxwell, 1993:182). So will entrepreneurial development in South Africa. South Africa's leaders, the government, will have to understand that this is the hour for radical transformation in terms of the way entrepreneurial development has been approached. Hubert H. Humphrey said, "There is no party, no Chief Executive, no cabinet, no legislature in this or any other nation, wise enough to govern without constant exposure to informed criticism" (Maxwell, 1993:173). This is also true for South Africa's leaders. As for the rest of the nation to follow, there are two ways to get others to do what you want: You can compel them to do it or you can persuade them. Compulsion is the method of slavery; persuasion is the method of free men (Maxwell, 1993:182). Persuading the nation with a compelling theme will make them follow the leaders to places they wouldn't have gone by themselves -embracing entrepreneurship as a way of lie.