Bernhard Burgener shares his thoughts on entrepreneurial leadership

The ability to refine an entrepreneur’s leadership skills is essential for the success of his start-up or company.

According to Bernhard Burgener, a seasoned entrepreneur, and businessman, entrepreneurial leadership requires specific skills.

Read on to learn more about how to cultivate entrepreneurial leadership within your business.

First, the definition of entrepreneurial leadership, according to Bernhard Burgener

An entrepreneurial mindset focuses organizations on transforming problems into opportunities that create economic and social value. For Bernhard Burgener, entrepreneurial leadership goes hand in hand with relentless optimism about the world.

“An entrepreneur isn’t just a risk manager; they’re also ambidextrous and adept at navigating uncertainty,” he says. “Their outlook on the future is positive, as they always try to improve things.”

To learn effectively, you must be open to learning and able to mobilize others within your organization.

“The best leaders are learners,” Bernhard Burgener says. “Developing a learning mentality will help you listen to new ideas, consider contrary viewpoints, and make better decisions.”

Entrepreneurs are not born; they are made. With practice and time, it can be developed. There are a few common characteristics among budding entrepreneurs:

• Entrepreneurial leaders strive to solve problems collaboratively
• Entrepreneurial leaders focus on outcomes and value action
• Entrepreneurial leaders believe that changes can be made and that they can make a difference

“An entrepreneurial leader knows leadership doesn’t come from the top; it comes from action, not hierarchy,” Burgener says. “High-performing, collaborative problem solvers are needed across all industries.”

Across all sectors, these leaders are needed more than ever before. 

Bernhard Burgener elaborates on the styles of leadership

There are multiple types of leadership styles. Leadership styles are determined by your personality and how you want to lead your team.

Here are a few sections that will give you an idea of the different leadership styles you can choose from. As a result, you will also be able to determine what leadership courses you should take.

Democratic style

In democratic leadership, the leaders make or break decisions democratically, based on their team’s opinion and feedback. However, the leader makes the final call, every thought counts.

Since this style allows employees to have a voice, it is one of the most effective leadership styles.

Autocratic style

This type of leadership is the opposite of democratic leadership, where employees’ opinions are not considered. This leadership style expects others to follow their decisions, which is not sustainable in the long run.

Laissez-faire style

“Laissez-fire” means “let them do.” This method ensures employees have the authority to make their own decisions. While this leadership style can empower, it may also limit development, so it must be kept in check.

What are the major components of entrepreneurial leadership

According to Bernhard Burgener, to be influential leaders, true entrepreneurs must develop the following leadership skills:

Establish Trust

Leaders can build trust in many ways. They can learn how to build trust and achieve it by working hard and communicating consistently with their employees. 

Entrepreneurial leaders demonstrate their commitment to achieving the vision to build employees’ trust and confidence.

Use Effective Communication Skills

Effective communication is equally critical to successful leadership. Mixed messages and unclear visions prevent employees from focusing on the company’s goals.

Alternatively, the company’s goals can be ingrained in employees by conveying a clear vision and reinforcing them over time.

Seek Self-Improvement

A great leader always seeks to become even better. Leaders must always be learning and evolving. They should never stop trying to improve themselves, their employees, the company’s processes, and develop new strategies.

Take Calculated risks

Entrepreneurial leaders need to take calculated risks if they want to have any chance at success. Today, there are many ways to take calculated risks. It’s sometimes necessary to take a leap of faith and maintain momentum toward the company’s goals.

Of course, this should be done responsibly and with some guidance.

Entrepreneurial leadership promotes innovation, says Bernhard Burgener

An innovative team keeps a pulse on the market and what it tells them to do. It is common for people and companies to claim to know about the innovations in global markets.

However, few will make the necessary investments in people and resources to bring innovative ideas to life.

These three things can be done immediately by leaders to foster an environment of innovation and initiative. These principles apply if you’re forming a new team or revamping an existing one.

Collaborate and Discover

You can’t begin to collaborate until you trust yourself and others. Collaboration requires more than working closely together to achieve more remarkable results.

You never know which idea will shape the innovation that creates impact and influence in the marketplace. 

Communicate to Learn

To build trust and collaborate, teams, need solid communication to find their rhythm. How you communicate sets the tone and propels thinking in various directions, leading to innovations.

Team members should view themselves as innovation labs and constantly challenge each other to improve their ideas.

Be a Courageous Change Agent

Leadership must challenge team members to think critically and see through a continuous improvement lens for them to innovate.

Looking through this lens requires the mindset of a “courageous enabler.” It is essentially acting and being a change agent to increase efficiency and performance.