Includes bibliographical references and index.

Success requires more than entrepreneurship -- Prerequisites : mastering the skills of entrepreneurial leadership. Are you selfish enough to be selfless? ; Enterprises are needy ; Building relationships ; Motivating others ; Leading change ; Creating a personal leadership strategy -- Application of entrepreneurial leadership skills. Strategizing fragile growth ; Organizing to succeed ; Hiring and firing ; Leading teams ; Leading through crises ; The selfish rewards of selfless entrepreneurial acts -- Appendix A. Motivations, traits, and skills -- Appendix B. The five essential entrepreneurial leadership skills -- Appendix C. Characteristics of projects, processes, and culture -- Appendix D. Characteristics of enterprises and their leaders in Stages One through Four -- Appendix E. Relationship building and the benefits and costs of cooperation, competition, and retreat -- Appendix F. The five prerequisites of change (The Five ducks) -- Appendix G. Ten basic strategic questions -- Appendix H. Five phases of crisis revolution.

Most entrepreneurs know the long odds: only a fraction of them will lead their enterprises through the rocky stages of growth to launch self-sustaining companies. Lidow demonstrates how founders can adopt the skills that are required at each stage of their journey. Whether you are at the idea stage or managing a more mature enterprise, you can start to recognize the fundamental conflict: how to balance your selfish drives with the more selfless leadership required by the organization at any given time.