The Impact of Leadership on Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Perceptions of Entrepreneurs

Ismaaeel Kadwa
MBA Student, WITS Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. E-mail: issykadwa@gmail.com

Brian Barnard
Researcher, WITS Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and is the corresponding author. E-mail: barnard.b@polka.co.za

The study examines the impact of leadership on entrepreneurship and innovation. It is found that leadership impacts the potential of the entrepreneur, and the (entrepreneur as) innovator. Leadership also impacts entrepreneurship and innovation through a number of practical aspects. The impact of leadership on entrepreneurship is strongly dependent on the definition of leadership, and the measure used to assess leadership. Leaders and entrepreneurs, and also leaders and innovators, share a number of common skills and competencies. The entrepreneur naturally and inadvertently develops leadership skills and competencies as he develops and matures. Consequently, the development of the entrepreneur can be enhanced and accelerated through the development of leadership skill and competency. Strategic leadership forms an important aspect of entrepreneurship. A number of factors, like culture and market, impair the power and influence of the entrepreneur. It is the entrepreneur as a strong leader, who is able to rise above this. Leadership as a concept is not always fully understood by entrepreneurs, and it impacts the performance and success of entrepreneurs. Recognition of leadership and fear of failure are prominent factors that impair leadership, and consequently entrepreneurship success. Innovation can be seen as exerting influence over a context, etc., in order to shape it. Leadership and leadership process form part of innovation method and thereby affect the sustainability of innovation and innovativeness. Leadership equally affects the effectiveness and accuracy of innovation, and leadership helps to manage and direct the uncertainty associated with the innovation process. Bolden (2016) further goes on to speak about theory X and theory Y managers. He notes that theory X managers prefer to take a negative view of people and explains that people would rather not work and have an inherent dislike to work. This forces theory X managers to be stern in their methods to ensure that work will be accomplished. Theory Y managers however, have the view that the average individual will tend to seek responsibility. This proves that the assumptions a leader has of his people play a vital role in the way he manages them (Bolden, 2016). Leadership Theory According to Collins and Holton III (2004), current leadership literature focuses on three areas:

1. The general approaches to leadership.
2. Leadership development research.
   -Early childhood and adolescents.
   -Formal education and the role it plays.
   -Adult and on the job experiences.
   -Specialized leadership programs.

Bolden (2016) further goes on to speak about theory X and theory Y managers. He notes that theory X managers prefer to take a negative view of people and explains that people would rather not work and have an inherent dislike to work. This forces theory X managers to be stern in their methods to ensure that work will be accomplished. Theory Y managers however, have the view that the average individual will tend to seek responsibility. This proves that the assumptions a leader has of his people play a vital role in the way he manages them (Bolden, 2016). Leadership Theory According to Collins and Holton III (2004), current leadership literature focuses on three areas:

1. The general approaches to leadership.
2. Leadership development research.
-Early childhood and adolescents.-Formal education and the role it plays.-Adult and on the job experiences.-Specialized leadership programs.

Introduction

In the modern world of business, the various types of leadership styles and the contributions it makes to the overall company performance have been well studied and documented. What we are faced with is a paradox as to the actual evidence of the impact that leadership makes on an organization (Mumford et al., 2007). At times, leadership itself is questioned (Vroomand Jago, 2007). In saying that however, not many will consider discarding the role and impact that leadership has altogether. Within organizations, leadership assumes a key role and is seen to be at its foremost within periods of change and transition (Uhl-Bien et al., 2007). One of the measures of leadership, according to Bolden (2016), is that it can be measured at an organizational level. This measure relates to company performance, profitability, cultural health and innovation within the organization. According to Hogan et al. (1994, p. 3), "leadership only occurs when others willingly adopt, for a period of time, the goals of a group as their own." One has to have a lot of inner strength to deal with the nuances of leadership (Shamir and Eilam, 2005). Knowing this, we seek to know how entrepreneurs perceive and understand leadership, how entrepreneurs practice leadership, and how it impacts their success. Leadership also ensures that an organization has a particular direction to move toward, which contributes to the organization's profitability and reputation within the industry. Leadership helps organizations overcome their adversities, and to find their place within an industry, country, or even amongst sister companies. Evidently, entrepreneurship has similar needs. Gaining an understanding of the relationship that leadership has or can have on entrepreneurship and innovation (the entrepreneur as the innovator) is a pressing concern. Taking into consideration the categories of entrepreneurs that exists (especially inexperienced ones) and their successes, does each entrepreneur necessarily need to be a strong leader? To what extent must entrepreneurs have leadership skills and competencies to be successful at innovation and entrepreneurship, and to what extent does leadership impact the success of the entrepreneur, also to innovate? The purpose of the present study is to examine the impact leadership has on entrepreneurship and innovation (success). To do so, the study focuses on the perceptions of entrepreneurs on the impact of leadership on entrepreneurship and innovation. Here, entrepreneurship would entail activities such as venturing and start-up, and innovation implies innovation as commonly practiced by the entrepreneur. In particular, it addresses the following research questions:

• How does leadership impact entrepreneurship?
  How do entrepreneurs perceive leadership impacts entrepreneurship, as practiced by the entrepreneur?
• How does leadership impact innovation?
  How do entrepreneurs perceive leadership impacts innovation, as an activity practiced by the entrepreneur?

The study reflects on the factors of entrepreneurial success. If leadership is truly a core competency of entrepreneurship, it implies that the leadership competencies of entrepreneurs- nascent and otherwise-should be evaluated and developed. The researcher will predominantly focus on experienced entrepreneurs and their perceptions of leadership. It also focuses on innovation, as practiced by entrepreneurs themselves. It is taken that experienced entrepreneurs have already formed their own respective views regarding leadership which should yield richer results. The researcher does not consider and segment according to industry. The impact of industry is assumed negligible. The assumption is made that experienced entrepreneurs have already established their own perceptions of leadership, and its impact on entrepreneurship and innovation. Given their unique and specific experiences, the researcher will attempt to gain insights into each entrepreneur, observing their respective point of views. Literature Review Leadership Perspectives What a Leader Constitutes Avolio and Gardner (2005) note that leaders ought to have the ability to instil confidence in those they lead (followers), whilst ensuring that they are able to create a sense of trust and motivation amongst all stakeholders. Furthermore, leaders need to ensure and enable change for the better takes place such that there is future value created for the organization, which leads to long-term success within the industry. Human behavior takes time and effort to change. In order to elicit a change in systems and processes, there should be more emphasis placed on human behavior. This needs to be well thought out and a strategy to tackle this change for employees should be developed. The major responsibility of a leader is to alter the motivations that drive behavior (Zohar, 2005). According to Komives et al. (2005), social conflict within organizations may induce the need for leadership. A leader is one who aims to solve errors and provide guidance to his followers on how to overcome the various challenges one might be faced with. What Leadership Constitutes Day (2000) makes note of the questions on effective leadership and suggests that they should rather be focused on the leadership process, instead of effective leadership, as this brings more complexity to the fore. Complexity within leadership focuses on learning and adapting to any given scenario. Komives et al. (2009) note the relational leadership model of Komives and Dugan (2007), which is designed to teach and develop proactive leadership thinking among university students. It emphasizes the need for leaders to bring about positive change whilst working together as a unit. It essentially speaks of the importance of teamwork and how leveraging on teammates can enhance the body of work and get to the destination with better results. This is where the idea of change management comes in and introducing corrective measures within organizations toward teamwork could potentially create a better culture within, as well as creating behavior that enables future success. Teamwork is also described as a pivotal tool in leadership in order to accomplish great things. Therefore, leadership can be seen as a process itself which does not belong to any individual; it takes time to develop. Aspects such as motivation and influence guide the team toward a common objective. Whilst the term 'great things' is known to leaders and followers, it does not mean that all parties view this favorably (Vroom and Jago, 2007). Fundamentals of Leadership According to Shamir and Eilam (2005), leaders ought to be able to draw from their inner strength to be successful and effective. What this entails is that even at the best of times, leaders will need to provide input and guidance to their team. Shamir and Eilam (2005) further go on to say that when leadership involves change within an organization, and the resistance to change is rife, leaders need to prove their leadership by making "personal sacrifices, energizing others and by recruiting support" (p. 399). Other core premises of leadership are: ethics, morals, trust (being able to and being trustworthy), humility, sincerity, intellectual capacity and the desire to lead others on a journey to success (Posner and Koouzes, 1993). The following four problems which do not allow leadership to have a common definition have been identified by Bolden (2016):

1. 1. Lack of consensus on where leadership stems from. Does it relate to individual qualities or does it come from the leaders' actions?
2. The aspect of authority-does it lie with the leader formally or informally?
3. Philosophy-do the followers read into the actions of the leader or does the leader cause an intentional influence?
4. Purity-not all leaders are good people.

Bolden (2016) further goes on to speak about theory X and theory Y managers. He notes that theory X managers prefer to take a negative view of people and explains that people would rather not work and have an inherent dislike to work. This forces theory X managers to be stern in their methods to ensure that work will be accomplished.

Theory Y managers however, have the view that the average individual will tend to seek responsibility. This proves that the assumptions a leader has of his people play a vital role in the way he manages them (Bolden, 2016).

Leadership Theory
According to Collins and Holton III (2004), current leadership literature focuses on three areas:

1. The general approaches to leadership.
2. Leadership development research.
-Early childhood and adolescents.
-Formal education and the role it plays.
-Adult and on the job experiences.
-Specialized leadership programs.
3. Leadership education.

Uhl-Bien et al. (2007) argue the fact that within leadership theory, the focus area has mainly been targeted to the actions of leaders and has not dived deeper to establish the complexities of leadership.

Dugan (2006) notes that the understanding of leadership, throughout the 20th century has been focused on the individual himself, his authority, command and strong managerial skills. This leaves us with a blanket understanding of leadership and as mentioned above by Uhl- Bien et al. (2007), can create a skewed perception of leadership.

Aspects of Leadership
Behavior and Traits
Collins and Holton III (2004) argue that personality traits of a leader and the importance attached to it have appeared in recent literature. The attribute, personality is the primary characteristic to leadership and highlights the importance of a charismatic leader. Some of these traits, as noted by Collins and Holton III (2004, p. 32) are "intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability." They further go on to say that original theories suggested that leadership success was based on more intuitive attributes such as influence and energy and state that whilst these still hold value within theorists, there are other thoughts that have now surfaced which allows one to understand leadership from a different perspective.

Contrary to the above, Mumford et al. (2007) argue that the following are the key attributes of a leader:

• Participation;
• Consideration;
• Initiating structure; and
• Change management.

Bolden (2016) argues that a strong sense of emotional intelligence (EQ) is essential in leadership as it is a skill that firstly, many leaders lack, and secondly, one that allows a leader to act in a manner that is beneficial to the organization and its employees. EQ allows one to react to an event that has occurred in a manner that creates value rather than acting with reckless emotion which could potentially inflate the situation (Mayer and Geher, 1996). Bolen (2016) further states that other typical competencies revolve around a leader having a solid set of all-round skills. Stakeholder relationships are of utmost importance and the ability to transition these skills into a business sense shows a good leader. Furthermore, Bolden (2016) also notes that the leader needs to be able to think innovatively which is a key tool to have and allows one to utilize their own personal set of problem-solving skills to overcome obstacles that may arise spontaneously.

Cognition
Day et al. (2014) highlight cognitive and meta-cognitive skills which are required for leaders to be successful. Cognitive skills encompass aspects such as "problem solving, planning and implementation, solution construction, solution evaluation, and social judgement" (p. 65).

These skills enable leaders to create a sort of structured strategy for the organization and create a sense of resilience within their skillset. Leaders who develop cognitive skills are better suited to solve real-world problems and will overcome them more efficiently than those who lack them.

Meta-cognitive skills involve reflective thinking about prior occurrences and leaders who have higher-order level thinking skills, are able to leverage on this information in future scenarios. This is an integral part of being a good leader. According to Dawson (2008), meta cognition refers to an "interrelated set of competencies for learning and thinking" (p. 3). Leaders who have developed metacognition, are able to reflect on situations, solve problems better and think critically. They are also able to focus on resolving conflict within the workplace as well as being able to handle complexity.

According to Mumford et al. (2007 p. 519), "intelligence is not the only form of cognition that needs to be considered in discussions of leader cognition" and that other potentially important skills such as tacit knowledge, vision, wisdom and creative thinking skills are to be considered as well.

Mumford et al. (2007) further go on to state that the ability of an individual to make quick decisions revolve around intuition and that the vision of a leader involves cognition and acts as guidance for the leaders' action. However, the vision is not always attainable. In summary, Day et al. (2014) and Mumford et al. (2007) are proposing that cognitive skills are imperative to leadership development and need to be addressed with the same importance as other perceived essential skills in order for leaders to grow and provide more advanced strategies that create sustainable business operations.

Knowledge
Lord and Hall (2005) define knowledge to include task, emotional, social, and self-relevant knowledge. They relate knowledge to how the leader uses information gained to guide others through personal skills that will show through their work and allow them to grow within the business.

Lord and Hall (2005) argue that as a leader develops a variety of skills, one of the main skills ought to be changes in meta-cognitive skills. They argue that leaders who understand the various demands within social contexts and have good interpersonal skills will have an advantage towards attaining the meta-cognitive leadership skills (Lord and Hall, 2005). Essentially, Lord and Hall (2005) are arguing that if a leader possesses critical interpersonal and problem-solving skills, he or she will be better suited to demonstrate the cognitive abilities one has developed through experience, instead of specific knowledge.

Spiritual Intelligence
Zohar (2005) questions what makes a great leader. She argues that others say it is about direction, decisions or to inspire loyalty. She emphasizes that vision is imperative to great leadership. So what type of vision does she mean? Zohar is referring to a vision in which the leaders can incorporate the aspects of intelligence, emotions and spirituality. She further goes on to say that social and spiritual capital will enable the inspiration of leadership in the long run (Table 1).

Contribution of the Leader
Bolden (2016) has the following ideology on the effect of leadership within different levels:

• Individual level-where the leader as one will likely be more effective.
• Group level-where the leader's actions transcend to his subordinates, peers and colleagues.

As alluded to previously, even though this might be seen at a high level of KPI's, it actually occurs through effective teamwork, improved communication and a positive morale. Bolden (2016) believes that "Improving organizational effectiveness is a key driver behind investment in leadership development."

• Organizational level-overall improvement in external stakeholder relations, profitability, organizational culture and customer effectiveness and satisfaction.

In analyzing the importance of leadership development, Ready and Conger (2003) note that IBM initiated a project where a core aspect of the strategic planning and improvement, was leadership development. This was intended to give IBM an edge in the market for the foreseeable future.

Such is the effect of investing in an organizations' leadership that Bolden (2016) noted British Telecom who have said to have saved 270 mn by ensuring that their leaders were strong and well-versed within the industry and could provide decisions that would enhance the profitability of the business. This figure was directly proportional to stronger leadership which demanded stronger work ethic from their employees and eventually caused a decrease in key errors and consumer unhappiness.

Bolden (2016) further identifies that approximately 60% of firms who had placed some form of investment in management development or the other, have seen a positive impact on overall business performance. This was related to a positive morale around the organization, flexibility and customer satisfaction.

Critique
A majority of early research suggested leadership and personality traits being independent of each other. This was found to be untrue and has been discredited (Vroom and Jago, 2007). Vroom and Jago (2007) suggest that when studying leadership, situational analysis has to form a part of the study. Focus has now moved onto leader behavior which is seen as the right decision as there is a direct relationship between leader behavior and organizational outcomes.

In some instances, leaders tend to develop self-agendas which cause stagnation and negative outcomes for an organization. This is when Bolden (2016) cautions companies to not have an over reliance on the said leader. It is during this time that there will be a disconnect between the leader, employees and the company.

According to Vroom and Jago (2007), there have been a few studies that have indicated that there was no significant change in organizational outcomes that could be related to a change in leadership. Based on this, Vroom and Jago pose the question: "if one cannot observe differences when leaders change, what does it matter who occupies the positions or how they behave then? (p. 19)".

Crises
According to Mumford et al. (2007), the true testament and need for a leader comes out when an organization is in the state of crises. This is when a leader with control over emotions and understanding of potential mistakes in judgement is required. Often, leaders who are faced with these situations for the first time go into 'panic' mode and make hasty decisions which negatively impacts the organization further. This relates to the adaptability of a leader and generally, leaders who have had more experience with challenges are better suited to deal with crises as opposed to fresh leaders. Mumford et al. suggest that "the performance of organizations undergoing performance crises is often dependent on the emergence of a charismatic or visionary leader" (p. 521).

Leadership Styles and Models
According to Pearce (2007), the two-factor model that is known as the transactionaltransformational model has been most used within leadership development. Whilst this model has proved beneficial, its limited range has now begun to be questioned. Transformational leadership can be categorized into four distinct areas, as noted by Bass et al. (2003):

1. Inspirational motivation-leaders' actions enhance motivation within the organization which fosters better team spirit and cohesion.
2. Individualized consideration-followers seek coaching and mentoring on an individual basis from their leaders.
3. Idealized influence-leaders are often seen to be role models and followers try to emulate what their leaders do.
4. Intellectual stimulation-leaders offer creative ideas and question subordinates' decision making and performance, in a constructive manner.

Bass et al. (2003) note that transactional leadership relates to followers adhering to what the leader demands or says in exchange for an avoidance of disciplinary actions. Furthermore, Bass et al. state that once followers have successfully completed their tasks, rewards and recognition from the leader would come their way. The intention of this style of leadership is to create a strong workforce that seeks to perform at extremely high standards and who are afraid of being punished should their respective work be deemed unsuccessful. Bass et al. further note that 'active management by exception' is a more corrective form of transactional leadership wherein leaders keep a close eye on employees' mistakes and provide corrective action as soon as an error occurs.

Bolden (2016) points out that a leader can be described charismatic when he is able to instil positivity among employees and enhance the vision for the future. According to Bolden, there are four traits that describe a charismatic leader:

1. A leader who has dominant personality and exudes confidence.
2. Can be seen as an influencer and have role model attributes.
3. Able to articulate ideological goals with moral overtones.
4. Creates a steep demand from subordinates and expects results.

McCleskey (2014) notes that situational leadership focuses on behavioral aspects of a leader and is dissimilar to the above-mentioned charismatic leader in that the leader is meant to rationally react to a situation and provide a pragmatic and appropriate response. It is centered around task and people-oriented leadership.

Vroom and Jago (2007, p. 20) point out that "contingency leadership abandons the debate between person or situation in favor of search for a set of concepts that are capable of dealing both with differences in situations and with differences in leaders". Furthermore, Vroom and Jago note that path-goal theory is when a leader is expected to develop a subordinate's goals and to be resourceful in times of need.

McCleskey (2014) suggests that task-oriented leaders are those who create and establish formal methods of communication, rigid work structures and ensure that definite roles are understood. The opposite of this, as McCleskey notes are leaders who are easy going, encourage employees to participate in discussion, and seek to reduce any form of conflict- these are known as relation-oriented leaders.

Bolden (2016) also notes that the emphasis of servant leadership relates to a leader who desires to serve, due to a greater purpose, instead of having a desire to lead.

Adaptive Leadership
According to Uhl-Bien et al. (2007), Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT) categorizes three leadership types:

1. Enabling-problem solving and learning.
2. Administrative-focuses on control and traditional means of understanding leadership.
3. Adaptive-focuses on emergent change activities.

Uhl-Bien et al. (2007) also note that the three above mentioned categories are connected and merges the formal and informal sectors within systems. Enabling leadership brings adaptive and administrative leadership together so that they can function in tandem. Furthermore, Uhl-Bien et al. (2007) suggest that adaptive leadership can be attributed to the primary source of change in an organization. It transforms the struggles and conflicts within an organization into teamwork and cooperation.

Leadership Development
Fundamentals
Lord and Hall (2005) note that due to the nature of differences in industry and organizations, there is no theory that underpins a set general model for the development of leadership skills.

Collins and Holton (2004) note that managerial leadership can be categorized into four areas:

1. Personal growth-where individual experiences and learning through on job training allows one to develop certain skills. To be able to hone in on these learnt skills is essential.
2. Conceptual understanding-transferring the knowledge gained through various means, especially taught methods into practical scenarios.
3. Feedback-from all stakeholders, irrespective of position. A typical example is the feedback evaluation form that most companies send through to their employees when conducting performance management. Leaders ought to be especially interested in this as a true leader (i.e., one who is willing to learn and accept criticism), appreciates where he or she can improve on, and understands in which areas one is excelling in.
4. Skill building-in which there is focus on developing key leadership competencies which will better equip one to deal with crises.

Komives et al. (2009) also reaffirm the above and state that leadership development occurs over time and as the leader experiences negative or positive scenarios, it will add to their skillset which is essential in developing a formidable leader. Leaders grow organically within organizations and are better equipped to deal with obstacles once they have experienced and overcome a variety of obstacles within the organization. The adaptability of a leader is also integral to the way he can provide solutions to problems that are abnormal.

Challenges
Ready and Conger (2003) argue that the recent poor turnover rate of CEOs within organizations indicates that there are leadership development issues at the very roots of senior management. The lack of succession and proper developmental plans for potential leaders is becoming more common within larger organizations and creates a sense of mistrust among senior management. This can be addressed by providing structured career pathways for senior employees who will then be prepared for the challenges the organization is faced with and can prove to be worthy to move into more complex roles. Ready and Conger further mention that leadership development strategies are not aligned with the strategic objectives of the company. In most instances, leadership development is centered around the product and not the problem or vision of the organization. The people aspect needs to be addressed urgently by companies in order for them to be sustainable in the long run.

Leadership Development Methods
Some of the ways in which leadership development can be achieved as noted by Densten and Gray (2001), Day (2000), Odom et al. (2012) and Day et al. (2014) are as follows:

• Feedback: The ability to understand how others perceive oneself in relation to leadership is essential in building on shortfalls among ones' leadership abilities.
• Coaching and Mentoring: To enhance the leader's performance through personal coaching from industry experts.
• Networking: Building networks outside ones' organization to gain a different perspective on solving problems.
• Action Learning: Real-time organizational scenarios which share realities and differ from traditional taught methods as individuals generally fall back into old habits soon after a course completes.
• Leadership Training: Formal and traditional classroom development programs.
• Reflection: Personal evaluation of ones' performance through reflection.
• Job Assignments: Immerses the incumbent into new scenarios with unfamiliar experiences, removing him from his comfort zone. Leaders are able to look back and apply their learnings into a different scenario with similar requirements which essentially promotes growth.
• Constructivism: Integration of new ideas with previous experiences.

Leadership Identity Development
Leadership identity is developed throughout the career of an individual. Lord and Hall (2005) note that opportunities for developing leadership skills usually involve proactive behaviors in which individuals attempt leadership, at some risk to status and social acceptance, they are facilitated by seeing oneself as a potential leader and adopting a provisional leadership identity.

Komives et al. (2009) note five categories that influence the student's development through the leadership identity development stages:

1. Individual Factors: An awareness of oneself, learning and developing selfconfidence, understanding aspirations and career prospects.
2. Group Factors: Transitioning from traditional friendship groups to those in organizations which provide meaningful experiences and which assist the individual to grow in.
3. View of Self with Others: Establishing interdependence with others.
4. Views of Leadership: Understanding the process behind leadership and that leadership does not relate to a position.
5. Developmental Influences: These include the role of adults, the changing role of peers, opportunities for involvement, and time spent in reflective learning.

Authentic Leadership
Avolio and Gardner (2005) define an authentic leader as one who strives to being true to oneself and ones' values whilst influencing his subordinates and the organization he leads. An authentic leader also does not give in to the needs of social demands, is one who controls his emotions and at all times ensures that risks taken are well thought out and calculated which will result in value creation.

Some of the traits of an authentic leader, as noted by Avolio and Gardner (2005) are: Those who understand the implications of their behavior, how others perceive them, those who exude self-confidence and those who are resilient in all aspects of leadership, and in life. Conversely, an inauthentic leader is one who seeks to conform to the stereotypical definition of a leader and does it just to have the title and to please others, rather than viewing leadership as a personal journey that enhances and creates future value for the individual, his followers and the organization (Avolio and Gardner, 2005).

Shamir and Eilam (2005) define authentic leaders as people who have the following attributes:

• The role of the leader is a central component of their self-concept;
• They have achieved a high level of self-resolution;
• Their goals are self-concordant; and
• Their behavior is self-expressive.

Based on what it means to be a leader, what a leader does, and what leadership entails, it is evident that the entrepreneur equally comprises a leader and should benefit from most if not all aspects of leadership skills and abilities. Leadership competency is bound to impact the behavior and performance of the entrepreneur. Furthermore, leadership has strong roots in cognition (cognitive development) and knowledge. The leader draws from a well-developed cognition and his knowledge base. Spiritual intelligence helps the leader to interpret value and the world differently. There is evidence that leadership impacts performance at the individual, group and organizational level. Leadership extends sense, direction and vision. Leadership development constitutes an ongoing process and entails significant learning from the variety of experiences that a leader is faced with. It strengthens the identity of the leader, from which the leader subsequently leads authentically, based on his own conviction, values and beliefs. Based on the above, there should be strong correlation between leadership competence and innovation as well as entrepreneurial ability. The present paper is interested in examining the impact leadership has on entrepreneurship and innovation (success). Thus, the following research questions are derived from the above literature review:

• How does leadership impact entrepreneurship?
• How does leadership impact innovation?

Data and Methodology
Although there are various methods of conducting research, Kothari (2004) notes that there are two general and basic methods of conducting research. The quantitative research method focuses on seeking in-depth numerical analysis in a formal rigid structure, versus the qualitative approach which focuses on understanding the opinions and behavioral responses of the subject. The qualitative approach enables the researcher to obtain a deeprooted interpretation of the individual's personal experiences through their respective responses. This method will then prove to be appropriate in that it will allow the researcher to gain the views and opinions of entrepreneurs in relation to their understanding of leadership, and its impact they believe to have on innovation and entrepreneurial success.

Research Design
The technique of semi-structured interviews was employed to obtain data within this research. This is one the main techniques used under the qualitative research stream. In our everyday lives, we often tend to forget how to listen properly. In conducting a semi-structured interview, the interviewer is interested in finding out or understanding the subjects' points of view, experiences and therefore ought to pay attention and listen to what the subject has to say, whilst being objective at the same time (Longhurst, 2003).

Some of the advantages and disadvantages of using the semi-structured interview method as noted by Barriball and While (1994), Darlington and Scott (2002), and Bell (2010) are as follows:

Advantages:

• It supersedes the typical questionnaire survey in that the responses received are much more detailed and can be understood better;
• The researcher may probe into a follow-up question based on the previous response;
• Non-verbal cues can be identified, which allows the researcher to assume the validity of the response; and
• The responses are unaided and answered by the individual in question only.
Disadvantages:
• Physical interviews are time-consuming;
• Not a vast array of potential interviewees; and
• The interviewer will have to assume the respondent is being honest.

Population and Sample
A population can be identified as the group of people being selected in relation to the problem (Bell, 2010). The population for this study is entrepreneurs in South Africa.

Within a population exists a sample, which is identified as a specific number of participants selected for research purpose (Kothari, 2004). The purposive or non-probability method of sampling, which is also known as deliberate sampling and involves the selection of specific individuals (Kothari, 2004), was used to gather information for this study. The study targets experienced entrepreneurs, and the reason for this is based on their insights and knowledge gained through their business dealings.

The selection criteria that were used are as follows:

• Entrepreneurs who have been in business for a period of three years or longer; and
• With a contingent of a minimum of 10 staff members and one business.

It was taken that industry has little impact on the results. Hence, entrepreneurs were not selected based on industry, and inclusion was not constrained according to industry. The sample was selected from personal and professional networks. For practical reasons, a sample size of 10 entrepreneurs was used for this study. It is believed that saturation of information was reached at this point.

Research Instrument
According to Bell (2010), the research instrument is a tool that allows the interviewer to solicitate accurate responses from the interviewee. The instrument that was used in this study was an interview schedule (see Appendix), which included carefully constructed questions that spoke about the problem statement mentioned previously. The structure of the interview is of utmost importance and focused on the following two areas:

• Leadership and entrepreneurship; and
• Leadership and innovation/opportunity recognition.

It was noted that the questionnaire, while pre-determined, could be amended during the interview to further probe and understand specific responses.

Data Collection
Face-to-face and telephonic interviews were conducted in a semi-formal manner. The interviewees were asked to provide a time wherein they would be able to set aside between 30 min to an hour for the interview, which was then scheduled at their convenience, at their preferred location. The location was one they were familiar with as this provided a sense of calmness and familiarity, which promoted engagement, according to Darlington and Scott (2002).

Prior to the interview, an email was sent to all respondents providing them with a background of the study, duration of interview, anonymity assurance and advising them that the interview will be recorded. The point of recording an interview is so that one can listen to the responses a few times after the process in order to decipher the responses better (Bell, 2010). The interviewer ensured that the interviewee was at ease and understood that the recorded information will be anonymous which put the respondent's mind at ease (Bell, 2010).

Data Analysis and Interpretation
Computer data analysis has come to the fore in modern-day research. However, the issue arises when one does not understand how to interpret the data provided by the computer. This then renders this method pointless and unsuccessful (Bell, 2010). For smaller projects, it is easier to use manual methods of data analysis, as noted by Bell (2010).

For the purpose of this study, Thematic Analysis (TA) was used. Braun et al. (2014), note that TA brings about a degree of flexibility and allows the researcher to analyze and interpret the data in a variety of ways.

The six phases of TA, according to Braun et al. (2014), are:

1. Familiarizing Oneself with the Data: This entails understanding the data that one has received, taking notes whilst listening to audio or video recordings, and rereading textual data at least once.
2. Generating Initial Codes: This creates a feature for the data which could be relevant to the research question. Codes can also provide further interpretation of the data.
3. Searching for Themes: Transitioning the codes into themes enables the researcher to have a better understanding of the responses in relation to the research question.
4. Reviewing Potential Themes: This phase is all about quality processing and ensures that these themes meet the requirements of the research. One should not force data analysis into coherence.
5. Defining and Naming Themes: Stating the uniqueness about each theme is imperative and gives a good indication of whether the analysis will be coherent and focused.
6. Producing the Report: Ensure that there is a systematic approach to the report and that the process has been adhered to. Ensure that there is a compelling story behind the data.

Validity and Reliability
According to McDermott (2011), internal validity relates to the confidence a researcher has in his experiment. How the results actually measure against what the research had originally intended to produce? This occurs when all aspects under control have been adhered to and the experiment was controlled.

Internal validity was ensured by running pilot studies (interviews) to ensure that the research instrument measures what it is supposed to.

External validity, on the other hand, refers to the generalization of the findings and how it can be referred to different scenarios and populations (McDermott, 2011). External validity, is less of a concern with qualitative research, as generalization of the results is less important. The emphasis, rather, was on gaining insight.

The term reliability is often associated with quantitative studies, but can be a useful tool for qualitative research as well (Golafshani, 2003). Golafshani further notes that trustworthiness is crucial in ensuring reliability of a study. Kothari (2004) notes that if results are consistent, a study may be deemed reliable.

In order to improve the reliability of a study, Kothari (2004) suggests the following:

• Standardize conditions of measurement-external sources to be minimized.
• By increasing the sample size; and
• By using qualified individuals to conduct research.

Reliability for this study was improved by ensuring interviewees understood the questions, understood what the need for study is, and that they answered all questions without being side-tracked.

Results
How Does Leadership Impact Entrepreneurship?

General
A leader is described as an individual who takes care of the problem at hand. He is considered to be a problem solver. The long-term success of a business often leans on the ability of the leader, and as such, a stronger entrepreneur. Interviewees are of the opinion that as the business prospers, so do the skills of the entrepreneur. It must be noted that leadership is not age dependent, and younger leaders are welcomed in the space. Learning does not stop once you are deemed to be a leader, and one must be willing to improve daily. Interviewees believe that the impact of leadership on success is seen to be via teams. Leadership improves team dynamics and performance, and this impacts success.

What Is Required to Be a Leader
Experience: Whilst leadership might not be age-dependent, being a competent leader relies heavily on the individual's level of experience and expertise. It is a skill that takes time to build and exposure to different scenarios are key to the development of one's leadership. At the onset, one needs to understand their own strategy behind leadership, and how their leadership will impact the organization. Sometimes, getting promoted too rapidly within the organization has a negative impact on the long-term effects of the business and leaders who are born this way tend to be prone to failure. Leaders need to face a variety of scenarios and are meant to have successfully overcome them in order to build their skillset and become stronger within the workplace. One also needs to have had many years of experience dealing with people as this is one of the most integral part of leadership-your people.

Belief in Yourself: One of the initial steps of becoming a great leader is self-confidence and believing in yourself. One needs to have faith in their abilities to lead people and organizations and also to become an expert in their respective field. To do this, one needs to have the desire to learn and to succeed. As the leader becomes more comfortable and experienced in the way he leads, he will be able to unlock his own potential from within. The leader needs to realize that to succeed in anything, hard work and determination is required for a prolonged period of time, and when faced with adversity, not giving up and coming out of the problem shows strength and builds character.

Following: As the leader grows within the business and as an individual, he begins to start gaining followers who trust in his decisions, buy into his approach and regard him to be the one to take the business forward. Followers aspire to be like their leader and place their trust on him.

Understanding Strategy: The difference between having a vision and being able to implement it through strategic objectives is generally related to the rate of success of a leader. Leaders are always a step ahead and find win-win situations in most scenarios. They understand the need to strategically manage people in a manner that would be mutually beneficial. They are also able to interpret situations differently and find opportunities where others do not.

Learning from Others: One of the great things about leadership is that leaders are often surrounded by like-minded individuals who are in similar positions as them. As the leader grows, there are key individuals who the leader looks up to and can learn from through observation. One is able to consider other's viewpoints and incorporate them within their leadership. Leaders need to accept that they will be on a continuous journey of learning, be willing to accept criticism along the way and be open to change.

Values: It is believed that leaders need to establish certain values within themselves before they can gain a following. A leader who is honest and trustworthy is seen to be more successful than those who are not. Leaders who are humble, respectful, and are fair toward employees, stakeholders, and people in general are often well-liked and are seen to be leaders who value input from followers.

Leaders also find it easier to deal with people who have a good set of values and often involve them in opportunities that may arise. A strong foundation is essential to a leader's growth and can create future value and affords you the ability to create and maintain mutually beneficial relationships.

The Competencies of the Leader
Comprehension: Interviewees believe that the understanding of complex systems within organizations is an essential trait that good leaders need to possess. Sometimes these systems are not known to the leader and asking for help, using all experiences gained over the years and leveraging on one's team for advice is a mark of a good leader.

Foresight: Having the ability to analyze and understand the long-term projections of the business is imperative for a good leader to have, but one needs to create his own path and couple it with a clear vision of where one sees the leader and the position of the business in the long run. Interviewees have stated that the main difference between good and bad leaders are those who focus on the long-term and those who focus on short-term gain. Strategic: Thinking about the next move or how to react to a competitor's strategic play creates a competitive advantage for the organization. Interviewees believe that leaders who are strategically focused, demand high levels of productivity and are always improving their skills often translate into long-term success stories. Creating strategic advantage for the organization through leadership is dependent on the (type of) business.

Creating value for customers ought to be on the list of high priorities of a leader and whilst dependent on the product or service the business offers, can be manipulated to a degree by the leader.

Engagement: Complacency about market position and where exactly a leader sits within the minds of followers, and with customers is an error that occurs regularly. To engage with customers will always create mutual value. Interviewees believe that leaders should be able to accept a variety of criticism which comes with the title.

Communication with teams and employees that strikes the balance between being in charge without being a dictator, can sometimes be difficult, but the ability to transparently discuss issues of high magnitude with EQ and Cultural Quotient (CQ) bodes well for the leader.

Networking and Collaboration: According to interviewees, leveraging of networks within the industry is an integral part of the entrepreneur's success. It helps by enhancing the footprint of the organization and the depth of learning. Other entrepreneurs facing similar conditions can also be of assistance and it is essential that leaders make it a point of growing their networks.

Character: Interviewees believe that leaders who are dedicated and work hard are stronger leaders than those who do not. Leaders need to be strong minded and opportunistic in any situation that arises. Another aspect is the ability to remain calm in those stressful scenarios. It all leads to the perseverance that one has as a leader, which allows one to keep on plugging away at a problem and eventually overcome challenges.

Change Management: Interviewees believe that change management skills are essential to becoming a great leader and especially important to lead amidst complexity. This speaks to the readiness of people to embrace change and how the leader delivers the change occurring and the benefits that it will bring about. Positive forward-thinking change needs to be addressed within businesses as it is believed this will lead to more opportunities and long-term value for employees and create a better culture within the organization.

Development of Leadership
One assumes the role as leader with the understanding that there are always aspects in which one can improve, irrespective of the heights reached. Creating long-term growth where skills can be developed consistently and empowering oneself to manage the responsibilities faced as a leader is an integral part of leadership development, even prior to becoming an entrepreneur.

The desire to strive for success and the ambition within oneself proves to be beneficial for the leader and creates future value within leadership.

Interviewees are of the opinion that leaders are more likely to be successful, if they have dealt with rejection, failure, and difficulties. All of this builds up knowledge and experience, to yield a truly competent leader.

Role Models Within Leadership: Most of the interviewees acknowledged that having a role model to base their business life on feeds their hunger and desire to succeed. Some of the role models identified were:

• Bill Gates: His dedication and drive for success.
• Jeff Bezos: His quest for world domination.
• Warren Buffet: His simplicity and investment prowess.
• Richard Branson: His forward-thinking abilities and people philosophy.
• Phil Knight: His vision for building his brand.
• Their previous managers from whom they have learnt how to be a leader within an organization in the corporate environment and use those skills in the entrepreneurial space.
• Their fathers or family members from whom they got the guidance to become a leader.

Leadership Style
Leaders often develop their approach and style of leadership as they advance within an organization. Some interviewees believe that in the corporate world, collaboration will work, but in the world of an entrepreneur, they believe autonomy to be better and more resultoriented. The majority of interviewees rely on collaboration and attest that to their leadership growth and that of the organization. Being autocratic, collaborative or autonomous all have different pros and cons and can be useful in different types of organizations (size, culture, industry), and useful for different types of leaders.

It goes back to which approach will create the most value by taking more informed decisions for the organization going forward.

Freedom and Influence of a Leader Within Entrepreneurship Leadership Practicalities Knowing that one is a leader can sometimes take its toll on the leader and can sometimes bring about negative connotations. Often, leaders lose control due to aspects out of one's control such as political instability and organizational design.

Leaders have a significant amount of freedom, which they believe is earned. Interviewees believe that influence also lies with leaders if their communities see them as successful. Interviewees believes that, the stronger the position or base, e.g., resource base of the entrepreneur, the more influential or powerful the entrepreneur is. External Forces (Market/Consumer/Community): The external forces which affect leaders are considered by interviewees to be of more importance. Sometimes, market conditions and consumer behavior can restrain a leader's power and influence of the market itself. Depending on the industry, consumers who are more informed and require specificities from organizations shape the approach of the leader toward them.

As an entrepreneur, the initial stages of one's business, consumers and target market are the number one priority and care should be taken to meet consumer requirements. Culture Within Leadership: Culture influences people's beliefs and personality, and thus their behavior and actions (in the workplace). Leadership impacts culture in a great manner and can actually devise different experiences from employees within the organization. Business culture is important, as it helps to set the atmosphere within the organization, that impacts how easy or difficult it is to lead. Poor culture within the organization makes it very difficult to lead the organization.

Leaders need to be accommodating to the diverse needs and backgrounds of others within the workplace and in life in general. Diversity is not always an easy aspect to deal with as a leader, but is important for a developing business.

How Does Leadership Fit Within Entrepreneurship?
It is believed that one who has built and worked on their skills related to leadership will be or become a stronger entrepreneur. Leadership helps to build character and allows the individual to learn new traits about himself that he might not have picked up previously. Although it (leadership) is not a necessity for a novice entrepreneur to succeed, it plays a vital role in building future success and the lack of (leadership) skill and identity can negatively affect the entrepreneur's success.

Understanding that an entrepreneur is automatically a leader develops over time as one experiences a variety of challenges with people and business. The responsibility that comes with leadership requires an entrepreneur to be mentally strong, and understand that others' needs are now put ahead of their own.

Ethics and Leadership: Unanimously, according to interviewees, any leader who does not have a strong moral background and a pure set of values and ethics will not be one they are willing to deal with, grant opportunity to, and they even assume that such a person will fail eventually. Being ethical creates a positive impression of the individual and has an impact on personal and professional life. One may not always see the benefits of morals and ethics (immediately), but they do have long-term impact.

People recognize and appreciate and begin to trust the qualities of ethics and morals in the entrepreneur which often results in more favorable opportunities.

Levering Leadership Success: Being recognized as a competent leader within entrepreneurship at times can create better business opportunities. Working with others creates better value for long-term success.

Setting Direction Within Leadership: Knowing where one stands and what one is capable of, is important to help set the direction that needs to be followed, whether it be through offering advice or outlining intended outcomes.

Before setting direction for the organization, or for others, a leader needs to have a keen sense of understanding of the situation ahead. He would need to strike a balance between being opportunistic and realistic. Looking inwards and choosing the path you believe will be the best direction with the most amount of benefit and least harm or possible risk. Leaders define reality differently, based on their past working experiences, their personal understanding of the situation, and the current environment. The entrepreneur sees the direction setting aspect of leadership as allowing and making room for others-enabling and even empowering others. The entrepreneur sees leadership as permitting and giving access, i.e., removing obstacles, rather than leading and giving direction. Thus, a lot more democratic, than autocratic.

Leadership Vacuums
Whilst aspiring to become a leader, many internal challenges arise. Interviewees believe some of the following to be the main obstacles that leadership itself is faced with:

• A lack of knowledge on the subject of leadership often proves to be a step too far for an entrepreneur to embark on the journey of leadership.
• Novice entrepreneurs lack the foresight and strategic thinking to become leaders; this in turn proves an obstacle that is difficult to overcome.
• Leaders who are strong willed and unwilling to allow others to be involved in strategic decisions can create mistrust and negatively impact the atmosphere within the organization.
• Leadership is not really recognized and thus valued in some entrepreneur's social circles. Or, the entrepreneur is not aware that leadership is valued.
• As with entrepreneurs, where the fear of failure may prevent and keep them from being entrepreneurial, the fear of failure may keep the entrepreneur from leadership (leading). If he fails, he might lose his position or status. This may keep the entrepreneur from taking risks or chances (trying).
• The South African education system does not equip students with skills to become entrepreneurs which lead to lower numbers of younger entrepreneurs.

Dangers of Focusing on the Short Term: Entrepreneurs who are relatively successful tend to focus on an exit bonus rather than developing the business for future value. This shortterm focus brings about its own set of challenges. This also hampers the development of skills of the leader.

How Does Leadership Impact Innovation?
What Drives Innovation?
Once an entrepreneur has a vision for solving problems, he begins to think and develop ideas with others (at times), and begins to innovate. Interviewees believe that innovation should be a team effort and collaboration is essential to develop the best suited solution. The leader delegates to senior personnel, and they innovate/work through people below them.

Is Leadership Required to Innovate?
Whilst most interviewees are of the opinion that innovation can occur without leadership, they believe that leadership can greatly assist an entrepreneur to innovate successfully. Leadership grants you the grounding and the ability to push hard and dig deep to create a success of a new venture. It enables leaders to create strategies.

Leadership also helps one to innovate by using leadership skills to move product forward. Leadership is thinking outside the box and this is what helps to overcome tough situations. Leadership is associated with experience and a more in-depth analysis and thought. Leaders need to have a foundation of leadership to be able to innovate with purpose.

Are Innovators Leaders?
Interviewees believe that leadership builds as the innovation becomes successful. For one to innovate, one needs to have a certain amount of leadership embedded within.

People at a young age without being able to comprehend what leadership is, cannot really be leaders, but they might have an idea or innovation that could prove to be successful. There are youngsters who are able to build programs and apps without any real leadership skills, but rather hard skills that enable them to do so.

How Does Entrepreneurship Fit into Innovation?
Entrepreneurs are those who keep going and make a success of something eventually. They have a hunger to succeed and continue until their innovation succeeds, or they develop an innovative solution. Entrepreneurs are leaders when they are able to innovate and use ideas to advance their business.

A leader who understands the need or a gap in the market could find it easier to be innovative. Interviewees believe a majority of the time, it is innovating around an idea and attempting to develop a solution around this so that they can sell their solution to customers who are always on the lookout for a better solution-that entrepreneurs find to be a challenge.

Discussion
How Does Leadership Impact Entrepreneurship?
The discussion that follows here dives deeper into what it implies to be a leader through the lens of the following aspects: (1) what is required to be a leader; (2) the competencies of a leader; (3) leadership development; (4) freedom and influence within entrepreneurship; (5) leadership within entrepreneurship; and (6) leadership vacuums.

Whilst exploring leadership and entrepreneurship, it is unsurprising and quite clear that a strong leader ought to be a strong entrepreneur. The two subjects share multiple attributes which further strengthen the argument.

What is Required to be a Leader?
There are a variety of traits that leaders need to build in order to be successful. The overarching trait of experience is seen to be among the most important to have in order to succeed as a leader. To be able to develop leadership skills one needs to possess quality, problem-solving skills and have self-confidence which allows leaders to articulate coherently and adequately with followers and others (Bolden, 2016). It benefits the leader to be a fast and effective learner, in order to develop perspective and to be informed. The leader requires foresight, in order to effectively provide direction. The leader must be able to look, think, and plan ahead, to remain proactive. The leader utilizes charisma to persuade and motivate followers to belief in the direction he sets. The leader requires determination to accomplish his vision and objectives. It is also through ambition that the leader is able to propose a vision that is appealing and captivating. In many cases, his vision and direction will require boldness.

Evidently, the characteristics attributable to a strong leader, would mutually benefit an entrepreneur (Table 2). Problem-solving skills and the ability to learn, would equally help the entrepreneur to interpret contexts, in order to set direction. The entrepreneur is known for the vision that he provides, and foresight forms a significant part of this. The entrepreneur who is forward thinking and proactive, would be more competitive. Again, the ambition of the entrepreneur would contribute extensively to his vision. The entrepreneur builds on his experience, when interpreting and reinterpreting contexts, devising vision and setting direction. It is his determination, tenacity and boldness that help the entrepreneur to succeed. The entrepreneur also wishes to persuade, influence, sway, convince and captivate his followers, and for this charisma is equally required.

Competencies of a Leader
Further to common traits of leadership are competencies that creates a solid foundation of a strong leader (Table 3). A leader needs to understand how to deal with complex systems and how they are beneficial to the organization. The strategic objectives of the business are essential and need to be thoroughly revised and questioned in order to create future value and long-term growth. To be able to do this, a leader needs to have the vision and foresight (which comes through experience) on the market and end users. Leaders need to always be thinking a step ahead of the competition and constantly be engaged with stakeholders in order to create a better offering. One cannot stress the importance of strengthening networks within the industry and beyond, as this most often leads to further opportunities down the line (Collins and Holton III, 2004).

Again, similarly, it is comprehension that helps the entrepreneur to interpret and then reinterpret contexts-to be innovative. The entrepreneur must be strategic in thinking, and apply foresight, to plot the best direction, and move his venture forward. In many instances, innovation implies introducing change, and by extension, managing change. Innovation essentially introduces disruptions to the status quo. The entrepreneur is very dependent on the perspectives of the market and customers with regard to his offerings. Entrepreneurs are known to network and collaborate.

Leadership Development Respondents mostly identified long-term goals, tasks and responsibility, and role models as a type of mentor, as ways to develop and further develop leadership skill and competency. An individual seeking to develop his leadership skills ought to focus on strengthening long-term perspective and vision (Ready and Conger, 2003). Being strategic forms a core competency of the leader, and foresight and strategic thinking are essential for the leader to unlock future value through vision and direction (Komives et al., 2009). Taking on certain tasks, responsibilities, or projects further develop the leader. There are many visionaries and successful leaders within proximity, sight and reach (via social media, etc.) of the entrepreneur, and the entrepreneur can leverage on this aspect and develop his leadership skill according to those leaders he admires and respects.

It can be argued that, although entrepreneurship development is not limited to leadership development, leadership development forms a part of entrepreneurship development. Entrepreneurs share a number of objectives in terms of development with leaders. Entrepreneurs also develop skill and competencies in much the same way as leaders.

Freedom and Influence Within Entrepreneurship
The interviewees generally believe that the more successful one becomes, the more freedom and influence one has in relation to one's business and environment. Market forces and factors also greatly influence the power, influence and freedom of the leader, and it is generally only when the leader manages to rise above this, through strategic and innovative thought, and captivate the market, that he can influence it and exert power and influence over it. Similarly, culture within the organization equally constrains the power and influence of the leader, and the leader may be up against the culture of the organization, such that it becomes very important for the leader to monitor and manage the culture of the organization.

Leaders and entrepreneurs generally face the same constraints in attempting to exert influence and direction on a context. The entrepreneur is constrained by, and come against the market and internal/external culture just as much, when attempting to innovate. Because innovation ultimately disrupts; it can be seen as an attempt to exert power and influence in and on a context. In this sense, the power and success of the entrepreneur, also affects his success, as it impacts his power base-resources, knowledge, charisma and clout.

Leadership Within Entrepreneurship
A significant number of the respondents believe that one is only a strong leader, once you have become successful. There might be some truth to that, in that the greater the experience and power base-reputation and resources-of the leader, the greater his power will be. At the same time, it discounts the ability of the leader to influence people and contexts. It might be an indication that it is practically very difficult to do so, and the leader generally requires extensive power to exert control, influence and direction-to be taken seriously, and to shape, dominate and dictate a context or environment.

Entrepreneurs (respondents) who focus on developing their character and on (continuous) learning, generally become stronger entrepreneurs. They of course simultaneously, naturally and inadvertently develop their leadership skill and competency this way. Experience is a key component to entrepreneurship development. Success breeds success, and (as) success opens the door to more and greater opportunities (Day et al., 2014). Again, it implies leadership development in unison.

Many entrepreneurs attribute entrepreneurship to experience and success, rather than leadership. It implies that the impact of and benefits of leadership, and leadership as concept itself, are not yet fully and clearly understood. In general, entrepreneurs (respondents) who have developed their leadership skills throughout their career are better equipped and are stronger and more sustainable within entrepreneurship.

The entrepreneur naturally and essentially becomes a leader, the moment he sets out to be an entrepreneur. He is in charge of a business. But more than that, he is attempting to innovate in the market, which can be seen as a form of shaping the market as context and environment.

Leadership Vacuum
A number of factors limit the ability to lead, and to be a good leader (Table 4). A lack of understanding of leadership as concept is a prominent factor. Not all respondents had a clear, and adequate, even minimal, understanding of leadership, and what exactly it entails. In some cases, leadership was not related to a (external) context, scenario or situation to influence or shape, but merely to managing people. In such cases, the sense is that the context or environment is taken as given, and something that can only be adapted to, and something best to adapt to.

Novice entrepreneurs lack foresight and strategic thinking. This can be attributed to experience. It is taken that this is something that is commonly developed through experience, and as the entrepreneur (person) matures (Bolden, 2016). It is also taken that this significantly affects the quality of the entrepreneur-entrepreneurs who have developed foresight and strategic thought, are bound to be more successful and innovative.

Some entrepreneurs have not fully or extensively developed their character, and it can be said that they still lack in terms of character. For example, some entrepreneurs are overly strong willed. This restrains the entrepreneur's ability to interact with and engage with those around him, regardless of their level relative to him, and the entrepreneur's ability to access resources in his environment. It can also influence and impact the perspective of the entrepreneur. A number of entrepreneurs are very cognizant of failure. It affects their ability and willingness to take (calculated) risks, which is natural to entrepreneurship and leadership. Leadership is not really recognized in social circles. It impacts knowledge of leadership, and the value attributed to leadership-in different words, interest in and regard for leadership.

Implications
The discussion noted how leadership both abstractly and practically influences entrepreneurship. In many ways, the leader was and can be contrasted and compared with the entrepreneur, and in the process, a number of similarities can be, and are, found. Leadership abstractly impacting entrepreneurship, simply means that, although not directly or easily observable, leadership has the potential to impact entrepreneurship. In some cases, the impact of (strong) leadership capabilities on entrepreneurship is not evident, but more obscure, and in other cases it is more transparent. The impact of leadership on entrepreneurship greatly depends on how leadership is defined and measured. In this sense, it is important to utilize a comprehensive model of leadership, and to include strategic leadership, as well as visionary leadership.

Particularly when comparing leaders and entrepreneurs, and their skills and competencies, it can be argued that a strong leader would naturally make a good entrepreneur, and a strong entrepreneur would naturally constitute a strong leader. Putting inclinations and passions aside, put in the position of that of an entrepreneur, the strong leader is expected to fare well, simply because of his skills and competencies, and vice versa. Furthermore, strengthening the leadership competencies of an entrepreneur, should strengthen the entrepreneur (and vice versa). In addition, when and as the entrepreneur develops, he naturally and inadvertently develops leadership skill and competencies.

To be considered a good entrepreneur, the individual must be a natural leader and at least an informal leader: the entrepreneur must and does interpret and reinterpret contexts, scenarios, and circumstances, take the lead and initiative, apply himself, and solve a problem or provide an answer, when others cannot or are not willing to. Entrepreneurs hardly wait for others, and rather propose a solution themselves. This is of course what leaders tend to do: they take the stage and take ownership of a problem.

The entrepreneur naturally and essentially becomes a leader, the moment he sets out to be an entrepreneur.

The related question whether entrepreneurs can be successful, without being strong leaders-whether entrepreneurs must be strong leaders-can thus be approached from the perspective of potential. It is likely that, to function at his true potential, the entrepreneur will need leadership skill and competencies. Being a strong leader would constitute certain attributes that would be invaluable to the entrepreneur. The entrepreneur may temporarily or occasionally circumvent these, possibly by insourcing the competencies and relying on others. This circumvention can also be seen and described as luck. But ultimately, it becomes a question and issue of sustainability-whether the entrepreneur can continue to circumvent lack of leadership skill and competency. Ideally, further development of the entrepreneur should entail and involve the development of these competencies, such that the entrepreneur also grows as leader and in leadership competencies, as he progresses and matures. Just like leaders, entrepreneurs face an uphill battle. They are constrained by the context and environment, particularly the market, and by culture.

Practically, when entrepreneurs develop and grow their character, and skill and competency as entrepreneurs, they naturally and inadvertently develop their leadership skill and competency.

Entrepreneurs may lack a thorough comprehension of leadership, and may benefit from actively and intentionally developing their understanding of leadership, and their leadership skill and competency. Although this may be related to difficulty in influencing contexts and environments, entrepreneurs are not fully aware of their ability to exert influence, or does not ascribe and relate it to leadership. A number believe they must first accumulate sufficient power and success, before they can be effective leaders. In some cases, leadership is also confined to managing people.

Novice entrepreneurs generally lack in terms of foresight and strategic thought. This can be related to strategic leadership, and lack of skill and competency in this regard. Factors like immaturity or incomplete character development, and fear of failure also impact the leadership of entrepreneurs, and evidently their success. The recognition of leadership in social and formal circles is also a prominent factor that inhibits both leadership and entrepreneurship.

How Does Leadership Impact Innovation?
Leadership impacts innovation, in a very similar way like entrepreneurship. Innovation can be seen as attempting to influence, shape and exert power over a context, etc. Innovation introduces and brings about change and disruption, and upsets the status quo. It can also be said that innovation evolves and extends into entrepreneurship. A venture is generally built around an innovation, or an innovation extends and expands an existing business. If entrepreneurship is seen to involve and pertain to the latter stages of innovation, innovation may be seen as (occurring) more internal to the organization, than external.

Given this, the entrepreneur uses a different subset of skills and competency for innovation. Therefore, although similarities still exist between the leader and the (entrepreneur as) innovator, they may be different, and perhaps less than that of the similarities between leaders and entrepreneurs. The entrepreneur may be a stronger and more skilled and experienced innovator than the leader. Still, it is believed that the strong leader will be able to find his way, when placed in the position of an innovator (Bolden, 2016). Also, it is typically expected of leaders to be innovative-original-too.

With regard to the skills and competencies innovation shares with leadership, similar to leadership, innovation requires problem solving and comprehension. Contexts are interpreted, understood, and then 'solved' and improved upon. In this context, the ability to learn is also important and of value. Innovation is complemented and enriched through foresight and strategic thought. This improves the innovator's ability to interpret and reconceptualize contexts, etc. It

enriches the perspective of the innovator, and the perspective an innovator brings to a context- what the innovator is able to recognize and consider. Also, innovation can be associated with a compelling vision, and with ambition. Internal networking and collaboration increase innovativeness. Innovation may also involve external networking and collaboration, particularly during implementation. Innovation have aspects in common with change management, in that it may share a similar objective of introducing change effectively and successfully.

Innovation significantly builds on perspective. For this reason, the experience and character of the entrepreneur are seen as important. Again, as with leadership, self-confidence and boldness are strong enablers of the innovator. The innovator typically deals with uncertainty, and wishes to step outside of the status quo. Very similar to leaders, the innovator will require perseverance to see his innovation through. The innovator also wishes to manage uncertainty during the innovation process, and associated with the innovation process. This may involve continual interpretation and direction setting.

Leadership can increase the effectiveness and accuracy of innovation. The (innovator as) leader will engage the market and customers, and will be aware of what is important to the market and customers. He will engage the organization too, to increase each one's contribution, and to enhance and elevate the innovation effort.

Leadership essentially forms a part of innovation method, and thereby affects innovation sustainability. The successful innovator would be able to sustain innovation and innovativeness through leadership, and the leadership process of interpreting contexts, and providing solutions and direction.

Conclusion

Leadership affects the potential of the entrepreneur. There are also a number of practical issues related to leadership that affect entrepreneurship and the success of the entrepreneur. The entrepreneur naturally and essentially becomes a leader the moment he sets out to be an entrepreneur.

The impact of leadership on entrepreneurship is strongly dependent on the definition of leadership and the measure used to assess leadership.

There are strong similarities between entrepreneurs and leaders. Entrepreneurs and leaders have a number of skills and competencies in common. When the entrepreneur develops and matures, he is naturally and inadvertently developing leadership skills and competencies. Conversely, the entrepreneur can further develop and can accelerate his development by developing leadership skills and competencies (Lord and Hall, 2005).

Strategic leadership forms an important aspect of entrepreneurship. Although not limited to them, novice entrepreneurs in particular can further develop in this area. A number of factors like culture and the market impair the power and influence of the entrepreneur. It is the entrepreneur as strong leader that is able to rise above this. Leadership as a concept is not always fully understood by entrepreneurs, and it impacts the performance

and success of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs do not always associate strategic leadership and exerting influence over contexts with leadership. Entrepreneurs can further develop in terms of leadership skill and competency. Recognition of leadership and fear of failure are prominent factors that impair leadership, and consequently entrepreneurship success. Leadership is not really recognized and regarded in social and other contexts.

Innovation can be seen as exerting influence over a context, etc. in order to shape it. Leadership similarly impacts the potential of the (entrepreneur as) innovator. The leader and innovator equally share a number of common skills and competencies.

Leadership and leadership process form part of innovation method and thereby affect the sustainability of innovation and innovativeness. Leadership equally affects the effectiveness and accuracy of innovation, and leadership helps to manage and direct the uncertainty associated with the innovation process. When considering this, it is possible to talk of and refer to innovation leadership.

Limitations:

• For practical reasons, only entrepreneurs from South Africa were interviewed. This could skew the results in that entrepreneurs from other countries, especially first world countries, might have had different perceptions.
• According to Willig and Stainton-Rogers (2008, p. 158), "Qualitative research does not always provide the researcher with certainty."
• Since the researcher becomes immersed in the research, "alternative interpretations are always possible" (p. 158).
• One of the selection criteria suggested that entrepreneurs had to have a business for a minimum of three years. We assumed that three years was an adequate period to develop leadership perceptions.
Scope for Future Studies: Future studies can further examine the following: The practical impact of leadership on entrepreneurship can be further examined to a greater depth. An intervention study can train and develop the leadership skills and competencies of a group of entrepreneurs, and the impact on their entrepreneurial thought and output, and their innovativeness can be compared to that of a group of entrepreneurs who did not receive such training and development.

• The relative success of a leadership training and development program for entrepreneurs can also be monitored.
• Strategic leadership in the context of entrepreneurship, and the strategic leadership skill and competency of entrepreneurs.
• The recognition and regard of leadership in social and other contexts: whether leadership is truly celebrated and regarded in social and other contexts, and the potential reasons why not.
• An in-depth comparison of leaders and entrepreneurs to highlight both the similarities and differences.
• The comprehension of leadership by entrepreneurs.
• The ways in which leaders shape and influence contexts, and the ability of leaders to shape and influence contexts

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