Want Jobs? Grow Entrepreneurs!

As I travel around the world, I listen to people talk and read the local papers to get a feel for how others view the global economy.  It is interesting to try and see the world from their perspective.  It seems that many people are just looking for their economies to get better and waiting for leaders to do something about it.

As I discussed in my last blog, I have a different point of view on changing the world.  I see it as you, the individual, who holds the responsibility to change the world. Great leaders simply provide the mindset and inspiration for you to do so.  They also create an environment that is conducive to allowing the common man to make a difference.

I left the US, traveled to the Netherlands, made my way around Germany and have now landed in our office in India.  People everywhere, not just in the US, are out of work due to a global recession.  As I write this, global markets are down 3-5% in one day, with negative outlooks.  This is an accumulation of governments worldwide trying to solve problems by spending money in an effort to create jobs.  It’s not government that creates jobs, that in turn change the world, it’s the entrepreneur. 

This concept is supported in a soon to be released book called The Coming Jobs War by Jim Clifton, the Chairman of Gallup.  One of our project managers here at Efficience, Mike Nelson, sent me an article that discusses the book.   In the article he quotes, and I agree that “Nobody is quite sure where jobs come from.We know how chickens are hatched, but not jobs.”

Clifton also discusses how job growth comes from new companies, 95% of that being within their first year, and the rest from small to medium sized businesses growing and becoming great companies.  A key point that most people don’t understand is that existing big business doesn’t create jobs.  NONE of the new jobs come from them.

He goes on to say “Here is something that almost nobody knows.  These all-important start-ups and shoot-ups don’t occur because of new legislation, new rules, more free money or any other government tweaking.  They occur during moments of unusually high inspiration.  They are created by Americans seeking the great American dream.  Freedom.”

Think about leaders of our past that created inspiration in others.  Abraham Lincoln, in the first paragraph of the Gettysburg Address, said “…dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” and in the last sentence said “…that government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not parish from the earth.”  This inspired a nation to continue the fight to stay together and end enslavement. Sir Winston Churchill’s comments inspired England to rise up and stand its ground against Hitler.  Gandhi inspired India to rise up without force for its freedom from England.

In business, Lee Lacocca inspired the people of Chrysler to rise up out of the bankruptcy and become one of the top 3 auto giants in the world.  Bill Gates inspired technology enthusiasts around the world to start businesses.  Ronald Reagan reduced the friction of government and inspired a nation to unleash entrepreneurs in the mass. 

Let us hope for more inspiring leaders like these so that entrepreneurs around the world can continue to do their thing: create jobs.