Predictive Success Blog

Analytics and the Entrepreneurial Leader

Entrepreneurialism. This trait is highly valued by most businesses in today’s marketplace. It indicates both agility and drive, as well as a person’s capacity to innovate. Companies are driven to hire these leaders and strive to embody these same characteristics. Yet, most companies lack scientific recruiting efforts to find these entrepreneurial candidates and separate them from the rest. The Harvard Business Review discussed hiring entrepreneurial leaders in their 8-page article, “Hiring an Entrepreneurial Leader”. This blog will outline the key points of the article, while outlining how Predictive Success offers analytic tools and consulting that can help your organization achieve this exact goal.

In a study referenced in the article, research demonstrated that there was little difference between the actual skills of an entrepreneurial candidate and a non-entrepreneurial candidate. The differences instead came down to distinctions in behavioural characteristics. There were three main characteristics that distinguished the entrepreneur:

1. “The ability to thrive in uncertainty”
2. “A passionate desire to author and own projects”
3. “Unique skill persuasion”.

All three of these traits can be translated and measured by the Predictive Index. The Predictive Index offered by Predictive Success, is a scientific tool that is used to identify behavioural traits of candidates and current employees.

Finally, although entrepreneurialism is weighted heavily in the market, the article advises that before you choose to actively search for one, make sure that they would be a right fit for your organization. For instance, while entrepreneurs may have the passionate desire to author and own projects, they may cause conflict with existing leaders, or have issues with collaboration in organizations with high levels of teamwork. Predictive Success offers the tools to help you manage your team and identify the behavioural requirements for the roles you are hiring for.

To learn more about what Predictive Success can do to help your organization find your entrepreneurial leader, contact us.

Source: Butler, Timothy. 2017. “Hiring an Entrepreneurial Leader” Harvard Business Review. March/April. Pp. 85-93.