偏执狂才能创业吗？

    这个争论早已司空见惯：最杰出的领袖到底是散发着谦逊的光辉，并以此引领众人，还是自命不凡到对他人和外界都不屑一顾的地步？

    在对全球创业者进行调查的过程中，我和我的合作作者发现，真正杰出的领袖往往能在舍我其谁的自信中搭配恰如其分的谦逊。

    走这样的钢丝需要很好的平衡技巧，而最终能否实现平衡就来自于对以下三个问题的回答，每个创业者都需要问自己一遍：道路是否正确？所说所想是否忠于自我？公司处在哪个演化阶段？

    创业道路是否正确？事业开创者必须有引领众人的自信，如果他们试图颠覆现有格局，那就更是如此。就像宜家（Ikea）把精心设计的家具带给普罗大众，优衣库（Uniqlo）在服装行业进行同样的革命，Facebook则从大学的聚会项目发展成全球性的社交网络，当公司真正地突破传统界限时，他们需要一个信念坚定（对，有时甚至是自负和自大）的掌舵人，相信自己是走在正确的道路上。但真正的问题是：他们是否确实选择了正确的道路？

    如果大功告成，人们自会见风使舵，奉承领袖当年的坚定不移现在回想起来是多么的“目光远大”，但却绝口不提具体策略和他的缺点。而一旦公司的表现差强人意，人们就会冷嘲热讽，说什么：“做事不错做人太差”。话虽如此，真正杰出的领袖恃才傲物的同时依旧能够保持一份谦逊，也能不忘在艰难时日里仔细应对。现在谁还记得播客网站Odeo是Twitter的前身呢？

    所说所想是否忠于自我？高效的领袖经常自我拷问，也会被自我怀疑所困扰。但最顶尖的人物能迅速坚定信念，停止无谓的自我怀疑。他们相信自己的事业值得关注、值得尝试，其重要性甚至可以达到改变人们行动和思考方式的地步。不出所料，我们的研究发现，最杰出的创业者都不惧怕表达自己内心的想法。他们并不完美，但他们总能让别人了解自己的立场，展现真正的自我。他们会用极富感染力的故事，而不是幻灯片和复杂的计划来打动人。他们充沛的自信会让人心驰神往，甚至不知所措，但你也许会发觉自己也已经被他们的想法深深打动。

    公司处在哪个阶段？信念和谦逊的平衡在整个创业历程中都是不可或缺的，但在两个关键节点至为重要。第一点是在公司从创始演变到成长阶段，第二点是从规模扩张阶段转变到业务扩张阶段，此时公司必须重塑自我，或者拓宽其核心产品或服务范围，以求得新的增长。比如，谷歌(Google) 就从搜索引擎演变成包罗万象的平台公司，而蔻驰公司（Coach）则从单一的手袋生产发展到提供全方位的生活时尚解决方案。所有公司都经历过相同的成长阶段或者成长周期，开始是概念的验证，如果成功的话，就会实现首次快速增长。但如果创业者试图延续公司的成长，但却不想在文化和愿景方面做些调整，大多数时候他们会一头碰壁，或者至少遭遇挫折。

    在这一阶段，公司通常需要不同的技能和流程，领袖则要放下身段，面对现实，承认改变的必要性。他们必须问自己：“哪些东西对公司来说是核心的，不容更改，哪些又是不触及根本、而又亟待改变的？”更难的问题可能是：“我是否具备所需的技能，还是应该引进新人？”

    事实上，很少有人像迈克尔•戴尔和维珍集团创始人理查德•布兰森那样全能，很多时候，领袖都需要依靠其它高管来查漏补缺，他们自己则专注于展望未来，开拓愿景。

    It's a common debate: Do the very best leaders exude -- and lead with -- humility, or are they self-absorbed to the exclusion of everything and everyone else?

    In the course of conducting research of entrepreneurs across the globe, my co-authors and I found that most exceptional leaders tend to balance their convictions with a healthy dose of humility.

    Walking this tightrope calls for careful balance, and much of that equilibrium comes down to three questions all entrepreneurs must ask themselves: Are they right? Are they true to what they say and feel? What stage or evolution is their company at?

    Are they right?

    Business-builders need to lead with conviction, especially if they are trying to be disruptive. When companies are really pushing boundaries -- think Ikea democratizing well-designed furniture, or Uniqlo doing a parallel effort in clothing, or Facebook (FB) morphing from college meet-up project to global social network -- they need a leader at the helm who has the conviction (and yes, sometimes the ego and arrogance), to know he or she is right about something. The big question is: Are they actually right?

    If the business succeeds, people are quick to be revisionist and recall a leader's conviction as "visionary" and may be more forgiving of his or her strategies and flaws. If the company doesn't live up to expectations, people tend to recollect a leader's certainty in less kind terms, or to say something along the lines of "Great-leader-Lousy-Human-Being." With that said, the very best leaders can celebrate their progress while retaining the humility and good sense to shift gears when things aren't going well. After all, how many of us still remember Odeo as the precursor to Twitter?

    Are they true to what they say and feel?

    The most effective leaders constantly question themselves while wrestling with self-doubt. But the best of the best swiftly resolve to suspend their own disbelief. They believe what they are doing is worth caring for, worth attempting, and is important enough that it might actually change the way people act and think.

    Our research found, not surprisingly, that the best business builders were comfortable with genuinely expressing themselves. They weren't perfect, but you always knew where they stood and who they were. They weren't pitching you with slides and complex plans, but rather with an infectious story. You may have felt a little put off or even overwhelmed by the degree of self-confidence in the room, but you might also have found yourself falling in love with the ideas, too.

    What stage is the company at?

    Balancing conviction with humility is essential throughout the business-building journey, but it matters most at two key points. The first is when a company evolves from the founding to the growth stage, and the second is when it moves from the scaling stage to an extending stage -- that point where the business needs to either reinvent itself or broaden its core offerings for the sake of new growth. For example, Google (GOOG) evolved from a search company to an all-encompassing platform company, and Coach (COH) went from making handbags to offering consumers a complete lifestyle solution.

    All companies pass through common growth phases or cycles that begin with getting a proof-of-concept followed by -- in a successful scenario -- a first period of rapid growth. Most founders hit a wall or at least speed bump when they are looking to grow their company without making some tradeoffs in culture or vision.

    At this stage, a company often requires different skills and processes -- and leaders need to exercise the humility and pragmatism to acknowledge this. They must ask themselves, "What are the things about this company that are core and incorruptible, and which elements are less sacred and need to change?" Another key question to ask: "Do I have the skills to do it myself, or should I bring in a different person?"

    Truth is, there are very few Michael Dells and Richard Bransons out there, and in many cases, these leaders relied on other executives to fill gaps while they carried the broader vision forward.