Do you choose your life, or simply adjust to the changes occurring in the landscape that affect you? At heart, are you an entrepreneur or a factory worker?

Movement is a constant. There is no such thing as stagnation. We either move forward or backward. Engage, or spend our energy protecting what feels safe. A manager strives to keep the status quo intact. An entrepreneur pursues opportunities beyond the resources currently within control.

Sometimes people with entrepreneurial spirits are called foolish or careless: they put the cart before the horse. Managers need all the ducks lined up in perfect order before making a move. The manager needs approval from upper management and seeks permission before taking action. The entrepreneur trusts the process and is willing to be accountable regardless of the results.

It makes sense the typical manager hardly ever openly asks everyone for input, thereby giving permission for everyone to step forward and bring their ideas into the light. Once the ideas begin to flow the manager can no longer “manage,” and she would need to synthesize the ideas to take the next step in the process.

Synthesizing happens when one is willing to let several ideas swim around, bump up against each other, and eventually fall into place in a way that they support and rely on one another. Ideas function similar to any group of people: they energize each other and ultimately generate more power and agility together than they do individually. This dynamic can feel chaotic and frightening to the person who is a “manager type,” but to an entrepreneur this creative process is life giving.

Synthesizing and collaborating literally gives life to a team—it makes a team.

Too many people feel insignificant at work. When management does not ask for input, and decisions are made behind closed doors, there is no doubt that employee creativity withers. Since life is in constant change, our choice must be to engage where we can make a difference and be significant.

Don’t let your enthusiasm wane. Find a way to lead, not manage. Pursue opportunities beyond the resources currently within your control. If we don’t put the cart before the horse will anything change?