Entrepreneurial leadership and transformational change

Abstract

Building on previous work, "Entrepreneurial Leadership, Gender and Teams," multiple participants representative of private, public and academic settings were interviewed to uncover the unique features of the entrepreneurial leader in the engineering and science context. One central question organized the current work. If the entrepreneur gets everyone excited and the leader calms everyone down, does the entrepreneurial leader balance both? This research explores the construct of entrepreneurial leadership using the following independent elements as a guide: gender as a social experience, past parental relationships, cultural roots, real time strategic risk taking behavior, capacity to predict and create cross-functional teams, and a character type that thrives on the challenge of change. Specific consideration is given to emerging dimensions and attributes influencing survival. Discussion includes: 1) ways that the entrepreneurial leader assesses the audience with precision, 2) acts on the belief that various sectors of technology drives leadership, 3) calculates the growth towards what is authentic and new, 4)expects external confrontation, 5) understands the paradox of expansion, and 6)preserves the past while launching into the future. Story and visual perspectives of the entrepreneurial leader are explored for the purpose of attracting, teaching, and assessing the global 21st Century engineer. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2007.