[blockquote author=”B. F. Skinner”]
The real problem is not whether machines think, but whether men do.[/blockquote]
Technological advances have changed the way entrepreneurship takes place. Gone are the days of long meetings regarding strategy, business implementation and market research. Now an individual can become an entrepreneur by simply registering a domain name.
Today, technology is viewed as the conqueror of the business world. However, for many entrepreneurs prior to the Internet boom, becoming an entrepreneur enticed a large amount of soul-searching. While technology has greatly increased the speed in which we do business, it does not address the human emotions and intrinsic thinking that is required of business leaders.
No matter the technological advances in society, people will always struggle with the human experience. No invention in the history of mankind has changed the way humans reflect on the deepest intricacies of life. What technology can do, however, is to accelerate decisions to address the human experience. But the question remains, is answering a leader’s problems in a quick amount of time the right process for making business decisions?
Noted science writer and futurist, Arthur C. Clark once said, “Information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all.” Essentially, technology is not the answer for providing entrepreneurial leadership or professional growth, but rather the catalyst to help us improve upon our knowledge, wisdom and foresight.
In many ways technology can help us move forward in our decision-making. However, without proper reflection, technology has all the power to move us backwards. For young entrepreneurs, my advice is to always be curious. Be curious not about technology and new things, but most of all be curious about yourself. Have a deep understanding of who you are, who you want to become and most importantly, why do you want to become that person.
The best thing an entrepreneur can do for themselves is to daily seek to grow in their understanding of who they are. How can an entrepreneur lead others if they cannot lead themselves?
Technology can help us get to where we want to go, but without knowing why we want to get there, the road is meaningless…