EARLIER this week, WooThemes founder Adriaan Pienaar pointed out a quote to me from global strategist Malcolm Gladwell which I thought pertinent, considering recently-released matric results.
Gladwell wrote in his book Outliers: "No one who can rise before dawn, 360 days a year, fails to make his family rich."
Taken in context, for sure there are issues about not just working hard but actually working smart. In general, though, it is a fair comment.
Considering that South Africans on the whole are not the most entrepreneurial or productive of nations according to various global surveys, I thought it important to highlight this to those who are slouching through school and life.
I discussed the issue of education and its links to innovation and entrepreneurship with one of South Africa's top venture capital players, who told me about a business he had recently been involved in funding.
What started out as a mixed race and gender group in university had been whittled down to two white guys who felt they had limited opportunities in the corporate sector.
Not a nation of natural entrepreneurs
As soon as the security of a corporate position became available, the rest of the team had jumped ship, leaving these two partners to slog it out. The risks paid off for them and they've eventually made a go of their business.
"We're not naturally a nation of entrepreneurs; we've long been very conservative," was his conclusion. This caused concern for the new generation.
On the flip side of that coin, I chatted to a small business banker in one of banking's Big Four about a position his firm was trying to fill. Apart from a skills issue, one of the biggest challenges was finding somebody who was actually enthusiastic and passionate about this sector of the economy.
It was a good position and I was sorely tempted to throw my hat into the ring - until I realised I might need to dress up for the job. The downtrodden journalist in me just couldn't don an Armani suit and mingle with banker types on a daily basis.
Suffice it to say, they gave up after two months of advertising. Instead of giving the position to a dedicated employee, they decided to spread the load among people who already work for the company.
Mature rivals spice up competition
Despite all of this, I come across quite a few young South Africans with wafty ideas of going into business for themselves or being their own boss. If the work ethic is not there, it is going to be very tough.
The recession has also had a heavy impact on the job market. Apart from the one million jobs which were wiped out, many of those who were drifting into retirement are now being forced back into the working world, bringing with them experience and skills not yet acquired by their younger counterparts.
Yesterday I saw proof of this when I spoke to a small business owner. He said he had given up trying to hire young South Africans, irrespective of race or gender, because of their work ethic.
His most successful hires have been mature women looking to re-enter the workplace, who are responsible for supporting families.
I thought that in itself was an interesting piece of advice for entrepreneurs looking to hire good people for their business.
On that note I leave the youth with a piece of advice from the only real boss I've ever had: "Say what you like, you cannot buy enthusiasm and people who are prepared to go the extra mile."
I hope that's a lesson young South Africans can ponder, as they consider their entrepreneurial and corporate futures.
- Fin24.com