Red Pill Leadership: Wake up and be a better leader

As I flip through the prime-time cable news channels I see and hear the following:

“Small businesses and entrepreneurs create jobs.”

“The small business is the backbone of our economy.”

If you’re skeptical take a look here, here, and here.

At a conference I attended a few weeks ago I heard the phrase “the nobility of business” and “business as a noble profession”. We may not think of business in this fashion given the unethical practices that capture the headlines. However, for every negative story there are likely thousands of honest, hard-working entrepreneurs realizing their dreams and creating jobs. How is an entrepreneur’s drive and passion a noble profession? It’s pretty simple; they contribute to economic growth. Here’s an overly simplified snapshot of the process.

1. The entrepreneur creates something, a business, that did not exist.
2. This new business invests in itself, purchasing supplies, equipment, advertising, and other items.  This investment is good for banks, suppliers, and the workforce.
3. The entrepreneur fills a need or a want satisfying customers.
4. As the business grows, jobs are created and the entrepreneur hires employees.
5. These employees now have jobs to help support themselves and/or their families.
6. The employees who now have jobs can spend more to support themselves which in turn creates demand for products and services; spawning the need for more jobs.

Though the motivation of an entrepreneur may be to earn a profit and for personal fulfillment, the results they generate are noble indeed. Assuming that business is conducted in a ethical manner (and most entrepreneurs are ethical), the means justify the ends and the ends justify the means.