Teaching Entrepreneurship
The main point in a presentation given by Cameron Herold on Ted.com was that parents and educators shouldn’t miss the opportunity to encourage and/or teach entrepreneurship to children. Cameron, an entrepreneur evangelist, gave some compelling reasons during a presentation in March 2010.
“ I think we should be raising kids to be entrepreneurs instead of lawyers” says Cameron, “unfortunately the school system is grooming this world to say, "Hey, let's be a lawyer or let's be a doctor," and we're missing an opportunity because no one ever says, "Hey, be an entrepreneur."
Delivering newspapers, avoiding the predictable allowance system could be crafted into valuable life lessons of problem solving, asking questions, becoming creative, leading others, learning from mistakes, saving money, wanting to make money, selling, asking for help, communication and public speaking skills, and to never give up in looking for solutions.
Entrepreneurial traits are valuable to anyone, especially children. Developing the lessons of attainment, tenacity, sales introspection, networking, handling failure, boot strapping, customer service can develop skills in multiple environments – business and non-business locales.
Myer-Briggs Type Indicator and Strong Interest Inventory tests may present contrary evidence that certain children will struggle with the work style, risk taking and leadership style that are necessary for entrepreneurial success. However, the presentation delivered by Cameron had the theme that even reluctant students could develop skills to perceive and manage the emotions of one’s self and others in a business environment.
Cameron states, “entrepreneurs are people -- because we have a lot of them in this room -- who have these ideas and these passions or see these needs in the world and decide to stand up and do it”. He continues “I think to embrace the idea, at a young age, of being entrepreneurial, we could change everything in the world that is a problem today” states Cameron. “Every problem that's out there, somebody has the idea for…and as a young kid, nobody can say it can't happen because you're too dumb to realize that you couldn't figure it out”.
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