For many people, the term ‘corporate leadership’ may conjure up images of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and senior management teams, boards of directors and corporate governance arrangements. It might also suggest the existence of a corporate organization. Yet a new enterprise may begin as an idea that eventually finds expression in the form of a startup venture involving one or more founding entrepreneurs, operating on their own at home with the goodwill and support of family and friends and who are looking for customers and sources of income. In time, more leaders may move between established and startup businesses where the priority is to articulate a vision or cause and operate more sustainably in order to reach and engage others, especially younger people. Those who fail to adapt and embrace the requirements for effective ‘new leadership’ will fall by the wayside.

What role does corporate leadership play in the success of a startup enterprise or new business ventures? For many people the term ‘corporate leadership’ may conjure up images and discussions of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and senior management teams, boards of directors and corporate governance arrangements. It might also suggest the existence of a corporate organization. Yet a new enterprise may begin as an idea that eventually finds expression in the form of a startup venture involving one or more founding entrepreneurs, operating on their own at home with the goodwill and support of family and friends and who are looking for customers and sources of income.

At an initial stage ‘corporate leadership’ may seem an overly grandiose description to apply to the design of a website, searching for modest premises and seeking part-time help, while keeping a close watch on cash flow. Many business ventures and the entrepreneurs who conceive them begin modestly. Some may not think of themselves as ‘corporate leaders’ until they have passed the micro-business and SME stage. This paper examines the relationship between leadership and entrepreneurship. It also raises questions concerning the nature of contemporary leadership and its relevance to the leadership of startup ventures and entrepreneurial activities such as innovation.

Corporate Leadership, Startup Entrepreneurship