ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP AT A CROSSROADS

There is confusion in the extant literature over the connection of entrepreneurial leadership and leadership. Is entrepreneurial leadership a theory or a style? Is its focus on setting direction, gaining commitment and achieving results? Or, is it focused on influencing others or recognizing and exploiting opportunities? This paper attempts to answer those questions and to position entrepreneurial leadership as an adaptable, creative, and innovative leadership style that matches the dynamism of today’s organizational environments. The paper is structured as follows. First, we situate entrepreneurial leadership within the extant theoretical leadership literature. Then, we present the definitional confusion within the literature and describe two paths. One road leads to an independent style of leadership. The other leads to an integrated leadership theory that melds it with other forms of leadership. We end by suggestion that entrepreneurial leadership research return to its roots and refocus on the entrepreneur – someone who sees, recognizes, and exploits opportunities without regard to resources - as a leader of ideas, projects, individuals, teams, and perhaps organizations