Professor Peter Jaskiewicz: How to Raise an Entrepreneur

Professor Peter Jaskiewicz has recently published an op-ed in the Financial Post – Nature versus nurture: Is an entrepreneur born or raised? His article also informed an Ottawa Business Journal article, The ultimate guide to raising an entrepreneur. On Tuesday, December 5, 2017, CBC Ottawa Morning host Robyn Bresnahan interviewed Professor Jaskiewicz about his insights on how to raise future entrepreneurs.

Although there is no entrepreneurial gene, being raised in an entrepreneurial family matters quite a bit. If their parents are running a business, children inevitably form some entrepreneurial instincts. As role models, business owners thus have an impact on the entrepreneurial spirit of their children.

Research shows that successful entrepreneurs have two qualities: creativity and self-confidence. Parents who encourage children to participate in their businesses will foster their creativity and passion about the venture, but if parents are too strict, they could achieve the opposite. Other parenting styles also offer challenges: using a more laissez-faire approach may boost their kids’ creativity, but without discipline and structure, parents may fail to teach their children about the hard-working reality of the business world.

According to Professor Jaskiewicz, being demanding yet responsive is an important balance to help children flourish and keep the entrepreneurial spirit strong in the next generation.