I just finished reading a book called “Cowboy Values: Recapturing What America Once Stood For” by James P. Owen. While I chose this book for my own reading pleasure, it became immediately apparent to me about how the values of the American cowboy described by Owen need to be practiced by current day entrepreneurs.
For me to use the comparison of the old west cowboy persona to that of the 21st entrepreneur is no accident. I have been called a maverick or a cowboy for much of my career — and that reference was not always meant as a compliment.
The message Owen offers is that the American cowboy lives by and upholds seven core ‘cowboy’ values: courage, optimism, self-reliance, authenticity, honor, duty, and heart.
1. Courage means that you do what is right even if others suggest you should not.
2. Optimism is a mindset that that things are more likely to go well than go badly and that by thinking this way you will make it true.
3. Self-reliance is not just doing things solo, but instead it means being responsible and getting the job done.
4. Authenticity means being yourself and not just following the herd. If you are different, celebrate your differences.
5. Honor is telling the truth, meeting your commitments, and not backing down when others tempt you to do otherwise.
6. Duty is similar to honor, but it is the expected behavior that comes with the job — if your job is to ride the point (i.e. to lead the herd), then do your job well and do it with pride.
7. Heart is both passion for living and empathy for others.
Little has changed since the mid to late 19th century and all seven values apply to entrepreneurs today. There are bad guys out there that must be confronted and we need to get through the current economic storm. Yet, if we do our job with pride, respect others, and make good choices everything is going to be OK.
So, cowboys and cowgirls, saddle up your horse and go make me proud.
John Bradley Jackson
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