What is the Network?

The Entrepreneurial Mindset Network is an international community of practice for the entrepreneurial mindset.

The Network’s vision is that everybody can benefit from having an entrepreneurial mindset. The mindset is relevant to everyone, not only entrepreneurs but also employees working in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

The Network’s mission is to inspire you to make your unique contribution to the world by enabling you to make use of  the entrepreneurial mindset.

To get you off to a flying start the Network provides a common sense  mindset definition that you will find easy to understand and use. To help you in your ongoing mindset development we offer a book, workshops, and a range of online Mindset Behaviour (MBA) tools. 

How can I join the Network?

It is quick, easy and free to join the Network. Simply press the [JOIN] button at the top of this page. We encourage you to add your membership to your CV and we will provide you with instructions so that you can add your membership to your LinkedIn profile.

Followers of the Network’s company page on LinkedIn come from 79 countries. People who have registered to join the Network are located in 107 countries.

To stimulate your thinking we provide a range of mindset examples that showcase people from all over the world applying the mindset in their careers and lives.

To give you more opportunities for international networking we invite you to join our series of interactive webinars where you can meet new people, exchange ideas and gain new insights.

Who runs the Network?

Paul Coyle is the Founder and Director of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network.  He is an expert in the entrepreneurial mindset, leadership and organisational transformation.  

Paul is a member of the Oxford Entrepreneurs Network, a global network of entrepreneurs and investors who were educated at the University of Oxford.

You can visit Paul's Linkedin profile where where you can choose to connect with him. Currently Paul is connected on LinkedIn to more than 11,000 professionals all over the world.

You will be able to see a summary of his professional experience as an entrepreneur, expert and as an executive and professor in higher education. You will also be able to read and interact with his regular LinkedIn posts about the entrepreneurial mindset.

DEFINITION

Is the mindset for everyone?

The entrepreneurial mindset is the reason why entrepreneurs are successful.  However, this mindset is not just for entrepreneurs. You don't have to be running your own business to gain the benefits of the entrepreneurial mindset. Anyone can learn to think and act like an entrepreneur.  The mindset brings benefits for employees in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. It creates value for individuals, organisations and society. It is relevant to every country and culture throughout the developed and developing world. You can use the entrepreneurial mindset to make your unique contribution to the world.

Is the mindset essential?

Entrepreneurs enjoy success in life because of their behaviours i.e. the way they think and act. Anyone can learn to mimic these entrepreneurial behaviours and use them to achieve their own career and life goals.  In a world that is increasingly complex and uncertain, the entrepreneurial mindset is a 'must have' and is much more than 'a nice to have’.  The right mindset will help you to cope with all the changes life throws at you, and then to be strong, to thrive and to build a path towards the best possible version of your life.  With the mindset you ask yourself “how can I make this happen?”

How can I benefit?

People from all over the world tell us that there are many benefits to having an entrepreneurial mindset including: a clearer sense of purpose, more creative ideas, an ability to speak up & challenge the status quo, a greater appetite for calculated risk taking, stronger networking & collaboration, higher levels of job satisfaction and an improved work/life balance. You can learn to adopt this mindset by changing your behaviours in such a way that you make the best use of your existing knowledge and skills. Anyone can quickly learn to develop this entrepreneurial mindset

What is a good definition?

Many people use the phrase “entrepreneurial mindset” in a vague or ill-defined way. To solve this problem, the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network has created an easy to understand, common sense and practical definition of the entrepreneurial mindset. What makes this definition distinctive is that it is based on 7 essential entrepreneurial behaviours. Other definitions use generic business or transferable skills and they then fail to fully capture the distinctive nature of entrepreneurship. Our focus is on helping people to think, act and behave like an entrepreneur. As an aid to memory, 1 entrepreneurial behaviour is allocated to each of the 7 letters in the word MINDSET.

Can I download the definition?

To support people all around the world, the Network’s definition of the mindset has been designed to be relevant in diverse cultural contexts and has been translated into 16 languages. 

[DOWNLOAD] the definition in the following languages by clicking on the name of the language:

[عربي] [中国人] [Deutschen] [ελληνικά] [English] [Español] [français] [italiano] [Nederlands] [Português] [ਪੰਜਾਬੀ] [română] [Русский] [Српски] [shqip] [Türkçe]

How was the definition created?

The definition was developed by examining research studies that have tried to explain the success of entrepreneurs through an understanding of their personalities, skills and behaviours.  In addition, we considered positive and negative perceptions of entrepreneurship e.g. with regard to ethical behaviour. Overall, the definition attempts to be both realistic and practical. The mindset has to be more than simple self-belief or wishful thinking. Therefore, at the core of our definition is the idea of taking action.  This can mean  being prepared to put in the hard work  and also being resilient in the face of the inevitable challenges of an entrepreneurial journey.

EXAMPLES

What is the EXPRESS eZINE?

EXPRESS is the eZINE published three times a year by the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network. Since 2018, the eZINE has showcased authors from 48 countries who have expressed their views  and shared numerous mindset examples. All 19 issues of the eZINE are available on the website Entrepreneurial Mindset Express.

What are the latest examples?

Volume 7 Number 2 of the EXPRESS eZINE is shown below. Click on any image to read the article. You also have the option to download a PDF.  Thanks to the latest authors for taking the time to share their inspiring stories from England, France, Malawi, Portugal, and Saudi Arabia. Use their ideas to reflect and find inspiration.

NETWORKING

What is EXCHANGE?

EXCHANGE is an ongoing series of webinars organised by the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network. The webinars are an opportunity for you to engage in international networking, to meet new people, to exchange ideas and to gain new insights. People who have registered for the webinars to date come from 52 countries.

How is EXCHANGE distinctive?

What is distinctive and adds extra value for participants is the emphasis on interaction and the expert facilitation of an inclusive conversation. We aim for an honest exchange of views between network members and the co-creation of actions to support change.

What has the feedback been?

Feedback received from participants  includes: * Beautifully designed forum with insightful speakers * A great atmosphere * It's been excellent * I’m really happy to be part of this team * A great conversation * Great forum which adds value for all * A highly relevant, tightly structured but still dynamic conversation *

How do I join the next webinar?

EXCHANGE webinars are advertised in advance on LinkedIn by Paul Coyle, the Director of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network. The advert includes a description of the webinar topic and speakers, with a link to register on Zoom. Press the [Connect] button on  Paul's LinkedIn profile so that EXCHANGE adverts will appear in your LinkedIn feed.

How can I get more involved?

Scaling Higher Education Innovation using the Entrepreneurial Mindset (SHINE) is an ongoing international project involving business, healthcare and education professionals. You can apply to join this project on the Entrepreneurial Mindset SHINE website. Paul Coyle, the Director of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network is the SHINE project leader and an invited member of the OECD's EECOLE (Entrepreneurship Education Collaboration and Engagement) Network.

Can I access past webinars?

After each EXCHANGE webinar, rather than simply uploading a full video recording, a written summary is created, highlighting the key points made by the speakers and participants. The PDF of the summary can be read online or downloaded. A selection of webinar summaries is shown below. Click on any image to access the associated summary. To access the full set of summaries for all webinars go to the Entrepreneurial Mindset Exchange website.

MINDSET GROWTH

How can I develop my mindset?

In a world that is increasingly complex and uncertain, the entrepreneurial mindset is a 'must have' and not just 'a nice to have’. Anyone can quickly learn to develop their entrepreneurial behaviours. You can start today. The Network provides a range of resources to help you to develop and make good use of the entrepreneurial mindset in your life and career.

How can I learn to take action?

Our strategy is to help you to make the best use of your existing knowledge and skills.  We do this by asking you questions that are designed to stimulate your self-reflection and prompt you to take entrepreneurial action. There are no right or wrong answers. Each person will choose the actions that are most suited to their own needs and context.

What resources can I use?

You can quickly understand what the entrepreneurial mindset is by reading our definition.  You will find inspiration in the many mindset examples in the EXPRESS eZINE and the summaries of the EXCHANGE webinars. You can go deeper by reading the entrepreneurial mindset book, joining a workshop and using our Mindset Behaviour Analysis (MBA) tools.

How can I learn from the mindset definition?

You can quickly start to develop your entrepreneurial mindset by using our definition of the entrepreneurial mindset. Consider each of the seven essential entrepreneurial behaviours in turn. Use simple questions such as do I meet real needs and what can I do to improve? All the behaviours are important but which one is the one you want to focus on and develop?

How can I learn from the EXPRESS eZINE?

You will find a great deal of inspiration in the articles in our EXPRESS eZINE written by authors from many countries and cultures. As you read an article ask yourself do you agree or disagree with the author? What do you find inspiring about their story? What action could you take? Do you want to share your own story in a future issue of the eZINE?

How can I learn from the EXCHANGE webinars?

Our EXCHANGE webinars offer you the opportunity to meet online and share ideas with an international network of professionals.  You can also read about their experiences in the summaries of past webinars. How can these stories help you to improve your own practice? Are you going to register to join the next webinar? Do you want to be a future speaker?

Book

Reviews

Get your hands on this inspiring step-by-step guide today! It will equip you with the tools you need to achieve success in a rapidly changing world. Enikő Koppány, Hungary, 2023.

A well-written, hands-on book. The reflective questions at the end of each chapter are an excellent guide to help people change their way of thinking. Bob Bastian, Italy, 2022.

This clear, engaging book has made me look at my work with fresh eyes, giving me a new sense of purpose. Highly recommended. Carolyn Howitt, United Kingdom, 2020. 

A very helpful book that inspires the reader, stimulates his thought and excites his curiosity. Roberto Brambilla, Italy, 2020.

How to read the book

You can read the 3 introductory chapters of the book on screen for free on Google Play.

You can purchase the complete book for the equivalent of 7.99€ on Google Play.  This gives you access to 7 additional detailed chapters, 1 for each of the 7 entrepreneurial behaviours, and 140 self-reflection questions. You can read the full book in your web browser, and online or offline using the Google Play Books app for Android, iPhone and iPad. 

You can purchase a print copy for the equivalent of  12.99€ plus shipping costs.

All purchases are charged in the currency of your credit card.

Note: participants in workshops and master classes will receive a code for a complimentary copy of the book on Google Play.

MBA tool

How can I get feedback about my mindset?

You can gain invaluable feedback about your entrepreneurial mindset by using a free online Mindset Behaviour Assessment (MBA) tool. An MBA tool is designed to introduce the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset, stimulate self reflection and to help you make an initial consideration of actions related to your entrepreneurial behaviours. People from 30 countries in Asia, Australasia, Europe and South America have used one of the MBA tools. 

How can an MBA tool help me to improve? 

The MBA is an online tool that will prompt you to answer a series of short questions on screen. The questions do not have right or wrong answers. They are simply designed to help you to evaluate your entrepreneurial behaviours and to consider how you could improve. As you answer the questions your progress will be shown at the bottom of the screen. When you finish the last question you will immediately receive an email with a copy of all your evaluations and actions for improvement.

How are the MBA tools used by teams?

Firstly, each member of the team will be asked to undertake their own reflective practice by completing the MBA tool on their phone or laptop. Secondly, small group discussions can be used to stimulate deeper reflections on current practice and future actions. Finally, there is the option for each person to receive an anonymised list of all the ideas for improvement co-created by the team.

Workshops

How do the Network's workshops support organisations?

The Entrepreneurial Mindset Network provides a range of workshops that organisations can use to help the delivery of their learning and development strategies.  The entrepreneurial mindset changes the behaviours of people at all levels of the organisation, bringing a sharper focus on excellence in customer service, increasing innovation, reducing risk aversion, improving productivity and empowering people to take the initiative.  

What is distinctive about the impact of the workshops?

The workshops are inclusive, engaging, and impactful.  Formal input is brief and to the point. The majority of time is spent in practical exercises, group discussions and action planning.  The workshop ensures that each person understands how to adopt more entrepreneurial behaviours, how to be more proactive and how to use the entrepreneurial mindset to make a greater contribution to the success of the organisation.

How can your organisation invest in its people?

Workshops are available to support a diverse range of professional disciplines at all levels in an organisation, including employees, new managers and experienced leaders.  Workshop content is always tailored to the organisation's strategic goals and the participants' job functions. Use the contact details at the end of this page if you have any questions or want to discuss a bespoke workshop for your organisation.