Many people really confuse being an entrepreneur and being a CEO. They think they are the same thing, but over the years I've learned that they are actually two VERY different things.
An entrepreneur has a mind that is creative. Entrepreneurs are full of ideas, they're eager beavers - and they are often hard to "control." There are exceptions, of course. But all entrepreneurs tend to have that "pioneering" streak in them - and they never really lose it.
When an entrepreneur starts a business, he/she is the CEO by default. But many entrepreneurs are not well suited to remain the CEO over an extended period of time. (I'll explain why in a minute.)
So after their company gets some success, many entrepreneurs hire a "professional CEO." Then the entrepreneur assumes a different and more targeted role, doing what he or she does best. The role might be in marketing, inventing, creating, innovating...or it could be technical in nature.
Of course, there are also many entrepreneurs out there that have proven to be great CEOs. Every day, I work hard to be that entrepreneur-turned-great CEO (and I must say that I've done a pretty good job at it so far). But it does require a lot of concentration!
That's because a CEO is basically a manager. A CEO should have a talent for building organizations, structuring, overseeing the details, watching the financials, and in general keeping the company in the black.
Also, a CEO's job is to keep the company moving forward. The single biggest responsibility of a CEO is to build "shareholder value."
And the fact is, most entrepreneurs don't want to think about shareholder value. Often an entrepreneur just wants to paint on the canvas - not worry about selling the painting, advertising, and fulfillment. Often the last thing an entrepreneur wants to do is figure out how much to charge for his or her masterpiece so the company makes a profit and doesn't go broke!
One of the biggest differences I have personally witnessed between an entrepreneur and a CEO is this: the entrepreneur is FULL of new ideas and is eager to implement them, while new ideas are the stuff of nightmares for a CEO. New ideas challenge structure and organization, and they can mean a whole lot of extra and tedious work for a CEO.
Of course there are many entrepreneurs-turned-CEOs who can do both. Sometimes a "start-up" kind of CEO can be creative and full of ideas, but still have the very structured mindset of a good business person.
So an entrepreneur-turned-successful CEO is still an artist - but business is his art. Real artists never paint with the selling price of the painting in mind. Real artists paint to fulfill an inner need.
Business is the art that fills that inner need of a CEO.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
I am little confused over it. If I autorized ...
By: Jolly | 19-05-2008
I am little confused over it. If I autorized someone to deduct money from my money market a/c and give them my mony market account # and Routing #, in bank account type they asked is this CHECKING or SAVING? What option do I select. I am confused will mine money market a/c is checking or Saving?
When entering USA from Russia do I need to show at ...
By: eraseme50 | 19-05-2008
When entering USA from Russia do I need to show at least $2000.00 to enter USA?
Lower Merion curfew
By: JMaisler | 19-05-2008
Does Lower Merion have a curfew for children under 18? How do the local police deal with kids in the parks after midnight?
What would you do if you had a million dollars ...
By: Dror | 19-05-2008
What would you do if you had a million dollars?Only fun stuff allowed... :-) It's actually for a paper I'm writing and I'm looking for ideas.It can be stuff likeI would go to the olimpic games.I'll get to rent a decent apartment in NY.If I'm in a pub and I've heard good news, I can yell out "The drinks are on the house tonight"Thanks,
Issued bonds
By: woti | 18-05-2008
a company issued $200,000,- of 10 year bonds on january 1st. the bonds pay interest on january 1 and july 1 and have a stated rate of 10% if the market rate of interest at the time bonds are sold is 8%, what will be the issuance price of the bonds???
What is considered credit card harrasment and what can I do about?
By: Beth | 18-05-2008
oI hav several 1000.00$ worth of debt, I am unable to make a minimum payment, bt i do make payments which they accept. I get calls every day from these copanies, at work, at home on my cell. they call at least10 times a day and up to 9 and 10pm at night.I am paying my bill but I feel harrased, and most of the bills are late charges, how can I stop this harrasment
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Business Articles
Unique Agricultural Products Lead to Unique Agricultural Business
By: MICer | 20/05/2008
As a big country manufacturing agricultural products, China makes enduring efforts to develop advanced and competitive products to satisfy the market at home and abroad. And some special products in China are the unique resources which lead business to success. Thanks to MadeinChina.com merchants get well collected information.
Starting Your Own Small Business
By: Naz Daud | 20/05/2008
Starting a business can seem like a daunting task, even for the most experienced or successful entrepreneur. For the prospective small business owner, knowing where to start can seem impossible, and getting that initial motivation to take any financial risk is no easy task. However each and every year, thousands...
Buy Investment Properties in UK
By: Damian Qualter | 20/05/2008
If you are looking for investment properties in the UK with a bit of research you’ll see there are many good opportunities to find.
Printing Green
By: John Mahoney | 20/05/2008
GreenPrint is actually a software that eliminates pages that are not useful when printing. It does this by analyzing the pages of the document and looks for typical waste characteristics such as the last page with just a URL, a banner ad or logo, or some legal jargons.
Ukraine Calls for International Probe Into Oil License Scandal
By: Stig Kristoffersen | 20/05/2008
The Ukrainian government plans to involve the international community in an investigation into a mineral license scandal concerning a U.S. oil company, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Monday.
A Brief History of the Memory Card
By: sam | 20/05/2008
Memory cards were introduced around 1990 when technology in mobile phones and digital cameras began to evolve and become more complex. Today it’s not unusual to have a mobile phone with a built in camera of 5 mega pixels which allows you to take photos of huge resolution. As in-built storage on phones is very low, on average around 10MB, the need for extra storage came about and so the memory card, the SDcard was one of the first.
Common Mistakes Made In Business
By: Bruce Swedal | 20/05/2008
Anyone considering starting a business needs to understand the common mistakes which lead to business failures. Ask yourself just the difficult question of how you are going to manage your business.
Revenue for your business does not mean that it is successful. There are many other factors to consider when managing...
Forex Investing Tips To Help You Make More Money
By: Mary Ricardoe | 20/05/2008
The forex market is the largest money market in world with trillions of dollars in trading daily. The opportunity to make money is great as long as you know what you are doing. There are many benefits to trading forex such as the fact that it can be done from...
More from Nick Siegel
The #1 Hiring Mistake You Better not Make..
By: Nick Siegel | 25/03/2008 | Business
When starting a new and fast growing business, anyone can be eager to hire. However, this one mistake can be VERY costly, it can even ruin those already working for you - make sure to never make it...
My Very First Board of Directors Meeting..
By: Nick Siegel | 24/03/2008 | Business
Read about The Mystery CEO's first Board of Directors meeting experience. If you ever want to grow a large business, you'll need a Board of Directors too - learn what to expect...
Business 
