“The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer”
— Nolan Bushnell –
Picture this: a lodge somewhere in the Delta. The manager walks the grounds early in the morning before the guests wake up. He notices the kitchen team preparing, the cleaners busy, the guides checking vehicles. He doesn’t own the lodge, but he treats it as if he does. If something is broken, he doesn’t just call the maintenance team; he thinks about how to prevent it from happening again. If guest feedback is slipping, he doesn’t wait for head office; he talks with his team, makes small adjustments, and tests new ideas. He looks at costs, but also at opportunities. He behaves like an entrepreneur, but without the personal financial risk of being one.
Now imagine another manager. Same lodge, same resources. He follows the rulebook, waits for instructions, and only takes decisions when absolutely necessary. The numbers are reported, the procedures followed, but the energy is missing. The staff feels it. Guests feel it too.
Two managers, two mindsets. Same framework, very different results.
Why entrepreneurial thinking matters
As a manager, you are always working inside boundaries: policies, laws, rules, and the ever-present expectation of results. But within those walls lies freedom. And in that freedom lies the chance to be entrepreneurial.
Entrepreneurship doesn’t just mean starting a company. It’s a way of thinking: looking for opportunities, taking initiative, and making things better than they were yesterday. Many employees think, “I’m not the owner, so why bother?” I believe the opposite. Exactly because you are not the owner, you have the perfect training ground to develop an entrepreneurial mindset with less personal risk.
An entrepreneurial manager asks different questions. Not just: Did we hit our numbers? But also What can we do better? What can we do differently? How do we create more value for our guests, clients, or team?
And this mindset is infectious. Teams working under entrepreneurial managers often feel more inspired. They see their manager pushing for improvement, and they want to be part of that journey.
The bright side…and the shadows
The bright side of this approach is clear. Entrepreneurial managers:
bring energy and creativity,
see problems before they grow,
find opportunities others overlook,
and often build stronger, more motivated teams.
But let’s be honest: there are shadows too. Not every boss is ready for entrepreneurial managers. Some leaders love to say, “Take ownership,” but what they really mean is, “Do what I would do, but without asking me.” Too much initiative can create friction.
And entrepreneurship always comes with risk. You might try something new that doesn’t work. You might be criticized for stepping outside the box. It takes courage to handle that, and wisdom to know when to push and when to pull back.
That’s why entrepreneurial management is not about reckless independence. It’s about balanced freedom: daring to act, but knowing where the real boundaries lie.
My vision
I believe management without entrepreneurship is just administration. It’s box-ticking. And box-ticking managers may keep the machine running, but they won’t grow the business, the team, or themselves.
True management is about ownership, treating your area of responsibility as your own little business. You have been given resources, people, and goals. What you do with them is what sets you apart.
And here’s something else: organizations themselves need to change. If leaders want entrepreneurial managers, they must also give them trust and space. Clear goals, yes. Clear rules, yes. But within that, allow freedom. Otherwise, managers will only do what’s safe, and “ownership” will remain an empty word.
What managers can do today
So, how do you put this into practice?
See your unit as your own business. If you truly owned it, what would you change tomorrow?
Communicate, don’t isolate. Take initiative, but keep your boss in the loop so there are no surprises.
Start small. Entrepreneurship isn’t only about big, bold moves. Fix a process, improve a guest experience, make one thing smoother for your staff.
Take calculated risks. Playing too safe leads to stagnation; taking smart risks leads to growth.
Involve your team. Entrepreneurship is not a solo sport. Share your vision, listen to ideas, and make your people part of the improvement journey.
In the end, the question isn’t whether a manager can be an entrepreneur. The question is whether they dare to be. Because running a lodge, a shop, or a department is already an entrepreneurial act. The only difference is how much life, courage, and vision you bring into it.
Peter Henssen
