Cameron Visagie
27 September 2024
I recently read Rod B. McNaughton Rod B. McNaughton’s article “Why Employers Undervalue the Skills They Need Most (and What to Do About It)” from the Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland. His insights on the disconnect between employers’ demand for entrepreneurial skills and their reluctance to hire entrepreneurial graduates resonated deeply with me.
This issue reflects a broader challenge within organisations. Historically, schooling systems were designed by industrialists to prepare individuals for factory work, with managers trained to maintain the status quo rather than lead the charge into unknown territories. Yet, these managers often control the hiring process on behalf of employers. Now, we are trying to introduce significant change into a system that is not fully prepared for it. In contrast, entrepreneurial leadership requires different abilities: creative thinking, risk-taking, and embracing vulnerability in decision-making.
In my experience, many managers shy away from hiring entrepreneurial thinkers because they perceive them as threatening the stability they are trained to protect. While new academic programmes could help bridge this gap, the problem seems more profound than simply educating managers. We must reconsider how entrepreneurship is understood and embraced to innovate and move forward.
In today’s fast-paced world, especially with the rise of Artificial Intelligence, there is little time to train individuals to think in new ways within traditional systems. As a smaller country, New Zealand must harness all its resources and people to thrive, particularly during the economic uncertainty we are facing right now. Embracing diverse perspectives and entrepreneurial mindsets is essential to this process. Imposing limitations on people, innovation, and creativity will only hinder progress and could have severe repercussions for the country’s future.
I encourage decision-makers to adopt a fresh perspective today. The worlds of academia, AI, and technology offer the tools needed to innovate more rapidly. Ultimately, it’s up to those managers to decide what future they want to shape, but economies may struggle to survive without embracing new approaches.
Thank you for your thoughtful article. I hope this conversation sparks further dialogue on reshaping hiring practices and fostering an environment that values managerial and entrepreneurial thinking.
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Visagie, CM. (2024). The Future of Leadership and Entrepreneurship. Retrieved December 16, 2024, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-leadership-entrepreneurship-cameron-visagie-kvmdf/?trackingId=sarniWZvApOBPyrNuVaT8w%3D%3D