Entrepreneurship vs. Employment: Navigating the Jungle or Living in the Zoo
In your professional life, we often find ourselves at a crossroads: Should we embrace the wild and unpredictable terrain of entrepreneurship, or opt for the structured and secure environment of traditional employment? As I work with teams and clients in various industries, at some point we have this conversation. To shed light on this dilemma, let’s draw an analogy between living in the jungle and residing in a zoo, illuminating the challenges and rewards of each path. I heard this analogy in a recent show I watched and thought it was a great explanation since I have lived in a zoo and I currently live in the jungle.
The Jungle: Entrepreneurship
Entering the jungle of entrepreneurship is akin to venturing into the untamed wilderness, where survival depends on adaptability, resourcefulness, and resilience. Here, you are the master of your destiny, charting your own course through uncharted territory. To put it another way …you eat what you kill. Every day presents new obstacles and opportunities, requiring a blend of creativity and courage to thrive. You will have incredible highs helping others achieve their goals and dreams. You will also have periods of stress and even doubt, and you will need to constantly adapt or fall prey to the dangers of the jungle.
What is it like to live in the Jungle?
Freedom and Independence: In the jungle, you are free from the constraints of hierarchy and bureaucracy. You have the autonomy to pursue your passions, innovate without limits, and shape your business according to your vision.
Risk and Uncertainty: However, this freedom comes at a price. The jungle is fraught with risks – economic fluctuations, market competition, and unforeseen challenges lurk around every corner. Success is not guaranteed, and failure is a possibility that looms large.
Growth and Adaptation: Yet it is within the chaos of the jungle that true growth occurs. Entrepreneurs must constantly adapt to survive, honing their skills, pivoting their strategies, and learning from both triumphs and setbacks.
The Zoo: Employment
Contrastingly, the zoo represents the structured environment of traditional employment, where individuals inhabit a controlled habitat with defined roles and responsibilities. While lacking the inherent freedom of the jungle, the zoo offers stability, security, and a sense of belonging.
Stability and Security:In the zoo, employees enjoy the comfort of a regular paycheck, benefits, vacation time, sick leave and a predictable routine. There is a safety net provided by the organization, shielding individuals from the uncertainties of the outside world. Assuming your zookeeper has a strong vision, mission and plan you will grow along with the zoo as it grows.
Limitations and Constraints: However, this security often comes with limitations. Employees may find themselves confined within the boundaries of their job descriptions, with limited room for creativity or autonomy. When I was employees with one very large company, I often received advice that sounded like…”Stay in your swim lane, that’s a great idea but not something you should share here, it will cause you political challenges.” Progression may be governed by hierarchy, stifling individual ambition and innovation. Or you could work for an amazing company with visionary leader coaches who encourage out of the box innovative thought. I served a CEO like this for 13 years and we grew that company from $4 million to over $300 million. However, from my experience the larger the company the greater the constraints and most organizations fall somewhere in-between entrepreneurial and hierarchical.
Comfort and Routine: Despite these constraints, the zoo offers a sense of comfort and familiarity. Employees can focus on their specific tasks without the burden of overarching responsibility, allowing them to achieve work-life balance and pursue personal interests outside of work.
If you have followed my content, you know I am a huge fan of DISC, a personality assessment instrument I use when helping teams. A high S and C personality style often thrive in a zoo with defined systems and processes.
Choosing Your Habitat
Ultimately, the decision to embrace entrepreneurship or seek employment depends on individual temperament, aspirations, and risk tolerance. Just as some thrive in the jungle, relishing the freedom and challenge it offers, others may prefer the structured environment of the zoo, finding fulfillment within its confines. The key is to understand both environments and you and decide to commit.
I suggest before embarking on either path, it is essential to assess your strengths, weaknesses, and long-term goals. Are you prepared to weather the storms of entrepreneurship, navigating through uncertainty with unwavering determination? Or do you seek the security and stability of traditional employment, content within the boundaries of the zoo?
In DISC terms are you a high D, driven, entrepreneurial and want to set your own course? Have you weighed the challenges and rewards?
Whichever habitat you choose, remember that success is not defined solely by external metrics such as wealth or status, but by the fulfillment and purpose you derive from your endeavors. Whether you roam the jungle as a daring entrepreneur or thrive in the comfort of the zoo as a dedicated employee, embrace your chosen path with passion, integrity, and a spirit of adventure.
The key is to strategically chose the right environment for you at this time of your life.
As I work with teams of leaders, I often find some members on leadership teams not aligned, frustrated, and considering dabbling in the jungle. The trouble is you are either in the zoo or the jungle. Reaching out beyond your bars does not give you a true feeling on being an entrepreneur. Sadly, several once successful executives find once they are free from the bars of the zoon they struggle. They must now learn all those other business functions they may have been aware of in the past but did not have a full appreciation for until they had to do them themselves.
If you work in a zoo and you are receiving new challenges and continuous development, you are blessed. You have nothing to prove. You will have an amazing career and a strong life balance in most cases. Be grateful to the zoo , loyal to the zoon that feeds and protects you.
If you chose to run in the jungle, I applaud your courage. Please make sure before you break out of the zoo you clearly understand the jungle environment for once you have lived in the jungle, many zoos will not welcome you back.
We are seeing employee engagement at an all-time low in our workforce today. Depending on the study you read over 60% of employees are not engaged. Some reports indicate as high as 30% of employees are disengaged. They sit in their cage and wait for their food. They may be dreaming of a life in the jungle, and this is distracting them from engaging where they are. Or you have roamed the jungle for some time. You have taken your bumps and bruises and now you are considering living your days in a zoo. My advice is before you break out of the zoo or enter one you speak to a coach to help frame and guide your decision-making.
Let’s schedule call if you are in a zoo and feel frustrated. Let’s schedule a call if you are considering breaking free of the zoo and roaming the jungle. If you have a zoo but want employees acting more like they are in the jungle we can accomplish this as well.
