Changes favors the entrepreneur; and this is certainly a time of change. There is lots of room for an agile and quick entrepreneur with a new idea. Entrepreneurs, says Sullivan, differ from other people in that they

1) depend entirely on their own abilities for the financial security and 2) create opportunity by creating value for others (pp. 10-11).

Part of the change is driven by the computer as it is directly responsible for wiping out layers of management and breaking up bureaucracies. The computer favors the individual over organizations. Micro technology is cheap and requires only one individual or a network of individuals to leverage the full potential of the computer.

On his way to building a case for using technology to become more entrepreneurial and less bureaucratic, Sullivan points out that purveyors of technology are working largely in an experimental mode. So do not get caught up in the game of ever changing hardware and software. Find what works for you, allows you to develop and market your ideas, and run with it. When you need a new feature, power or speed—it will be there. In other words, do not let IT drive you, make it support you (p. 30).

Education is a current hot topic. A radical reform here or there and a remedy is guaranteed. The problem, suggests Sullivan, is that schools are focused on preparing workers for bureaucracies that are quickly crumbling. Current institutions promote habits based on obedience, dependence and loyalty—when [the education institutions] should be encouraging self-reliance, creative thought and initiative (p. 36). Whether or not you agree with his thesis, these are worthy goals for our education system: entrepreneurism and agility in the market place.

Once Sullivan has set the stage for how the age of micro technology is driving the changes we see in our organizations today he seems to shift gears. The book begins to read like a Roger Dawson motivational speech [see January, 1996 of The Quality Monitor]. Here are the titles of some of the remaining chapters:

• Decide to be happy right now and live with it

• Choose creativity and stop complaining

• Focus on progress and forget about perfection

• Focus on habits and forget about discipline

• Focus on your strengths and delegate your weaknesses

• Improve your mastery of the English language

• Eat, sleep, exercise and meditate

• Increase your free days to multiply productivity

• Decide how long you’re going to live and plan backwards

• Plan your life in three-year quantum leaps

• Team up and prosper with female entrepreneurs

• Ask everybody you meet the three-year question

• Grow to the genius level of personal confidence

Sullivan’s focus on the individual may lead you to a simplistic conclusion that teams and networks are somehow less desirable, bureaucratic or anti-entrepreneurial. Instead he is saying that individuals in a team, group or organization are at their best when they take an entrepreneurial approach to their own development, and are prepared to interact with competent equals. Customers, society and the individuals are best served by this model. The traditional bureaucracy uses energy to keep the organization alive at the expense of individual creativity. A network of entrepreneurs are tuned to their customers’ needs, their team mates’ strengths and their own unique strengths. Givers gain; everybody wins.

Now here is an idea to take to your boss: Increase your free days to multiply productivity. Americans don’t feel productive if they are not busy, working and stressing themselves. Instead, Sullivan gives us a reminder that time off rejuvenates the batteries. We are more productive on the job once we have been completely off the job. He recommends three types of days to maximize our entrepreneurial zeal:

How many free days are right for you?

Very often, the most productive time is the period of ten days immediately following a stretch of Free Days—you return to work with a new perspective, a higher energy level, and very probably a breakthrough.

Take one vacation a year, get one breakthrough. Take two vacations a year, get two breakthroughs. Take three, get three.

Plan at least five breakthroughs a year, and preferably ten (p. 87).

Sullivan recommends individual planning in three year leaps. Planning for all aspects of your life: income, savings, free time, learning, health, relationships, knowledge, attitude, skills and habits (p. 104). He chooses three years as this is about the time required to change fundamental habits. Fundamental habits keep us from achieving our major goals. Within a three year time frame, 90 days works as a period to target small but measurable changes that mark progress.

People who are entrepreneurial and self directed will be able to answer a question like Where will you be in three years? A quick and clear answer to that question tells you that this individual is focused on the future; it also tells you if this person trusts you. These two ingredients inform you if a relationship with this person is possible. It is also a way to give to the other person. By virtue of asking such a question you are encouraging the individual to think more strategically and entrepreneurially. The conversation that follows may lead to all sorts of things that were not apparent at the beginning: referrals to other people with complementary skills, chances to network and the chance to focus on your own future.