Michael E. Gerber wrote the groundbreaking book, The E-Myth, as a discussion about the obstacles that entrepreneurs encounter in starting a business. One part of the book discusses three different roles in an organization – the technician, the manager, and the entrepreneur. Gerber assigns a definition to each of these roles with a focus on time.

Technician = Present

The technician is the one who is focused on the present – what needs to be now and what needs to be done next.

Manager = Past

The manager is the one who is focused on the past – what was done, how it was done, and how to improve how it was done.

Entrepreneur = Future

The entrepreneur is the one who is focused on the future – what can be done and what can be accomplished.

The Leader

There are leadership traits in each of these three roles, but one attribute about the leader is the encompassing of all three traits.

The Leader = Present

The leader builds on the ability of the technician to look at what needs to be done as an ability to get things done.

The Leader = Past

The leader also builds on the refined practice of the manager to learn from what was done to improve how things can be done.

The Leader = Future

The leader most closely relates to the entrepreneur in looking toward the future – where is the market going, what is happening in the economy, how will this affect the organization, and how should the organization prepare for the future.

The Leader’s Experience

Experience is the strongest attribute of the leader. The leader has experience as the technician working in the organization and has mastered the primary focus on determining what to do and getting it done. The leader is also experienced in management and possesses the ability to assess strengths and weaknesses of practices and procedures. And the leader is continually aware of what is happening for the future and is able to steer the organization on the best path for long-term success.

 You can get Michael E. Gerber’s The E-Myth here.

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