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.