Thinking of legends like Sam Walton and William Lever, a couple of images come to mind. First, they love what they do - they're extremely committed to their work. No company leader ever did a better job than Walton, the quintessential American entrepreneur. Everyone knows that people tend to do things that bring them positive consequences. The single biggest difference between entrepreneurial and bureaucratic behavior is answering the 'what's in it for me' question.
Entrepreneurs get powerful and frequent answers.
Companies must do the same for employees. You're never going to revive the enterprise if you can't revive the enterprisers. More and more managers are finding that the empowered worker who senses a corporate spirit of support and commitment to his or her personal success, will take on personal ownership in the success of the corporation. In the new global war for competitive advantage, size and weight will no longer get you into the winners circle. It's time to learn some very old lessons - fast.