It is becoming increasingly clear to me that the qualities of an employee, and the qualities of an entrepreneur, are radically different. Being the boss, the developer, the navigator, the leader and the executor of a business plan is a set of jobs that the average employee has difficulty grasping.

I’ve watched my husband make the transition from “company man” to a business owner. It has been very difficult for him. It is only as I watched him that I began to understand why I’ve watched so many friends and family members fail at business ownership.

As a mom of many children, I had to lead. I had to determine what was best, then see to it that it got done in an efficient manner. I had to teach my children how to do the things that I needed them to do. This was excellent preparation for business ownership. Even so, I struggle with many growth and delegation issues.

We were called by a prospect recently, who had big plans. He called regularly for many days, discussing the plans. After talking to him just once, I felt he would not carry out the plans. He had many ideas, but no real direction, and no ability to commit to a course of action, and carry it out. When it came time to “cross the Rubicon”, he could not pick a ford – he kept looking for a shallower spot, so he never crossed.

I mentioned it to my son – and said that the man was ex-military, so he did not know how to be the real leader. My son protested that if the man were in the military, he would learn to lead. I agreed that he would learn to follow orders, and ensure that the personnel under him followed orders, but reasserted that it does not teach someone how to be THE leader. All decisions at the top are made by committee, and no one has full authority to develop a plan independently and carry it out themselves. It is quite unlike the leadership required to run one’s own business.

The same is true of major corporations. The cogs in the wheel are unprepared to BECOME the wheel. Again, no single person is responsible for the direction, execution, and performance of the entire plan. It is all done by groups.

When you begin a business as a sole proprietor, it is all you. You must learn to juggle, prioritize, and act with dispatch. To plan well, and then to commit to a course, and go boldly forward. If assessment is needed, you must do it. You must learn to examine yourself for shortcomings, then devise solutions to compensate. Failure to do all that results in failure of the business.

Not everyone has the ability to be a successful business owner. But then, not every one NEEDS to. If you do need to though, it is wise to realize that new skills are needed, and that you cannot be an employee in your own business. If you are waiting for someone else to tell you what to do, your business will never get off the ground.