The owner with two brains

Entrepreneurial leaders — such as agency owners — need to master the art of having two brains running in parallel.

One brain needs to be scanning ahead for problems, thinking of the bad things that could happen and preparing for them.

As Andy Grove, the leader who built Intel to a global powerhouse, famously said: "Only the paranoid survive."

But that's only half the story.

The other brain needed is the optimistic, positive, vision-of-success mode of thinking. It's equally as important.

You need to show your team and your clients the amazing future ahead, and get people fired up about getting there.

Only having one of these modes of thinking is a recipe for trouble — you either end up bogged down in worry, negativity and inaction, or you end up foolishly cheerleading the company off a cliff because 'something's bound to come up!' and you had no plan B for when it didn't.

The two brains together transform basic pessimism or optimism into hope: "Yes, there will be obstacles ahead, and we've planned for those — but here's how we can succeed, and this is what we need to do. We can do it."

It's the style of leadership that brought Barack Obama electoral success, even when the world seemed so problematic.

He didn't just wallow in the problems, or pretend that everything was rosy — he explained the problems, but then showed a possible path through them.

"Yes we can."

So the key is balance.

Think of what could go wrong and prepare for some tough challenges, facing up to any harsh realities — but then look for the opportunities that come from problems, nurture excitement about the future, and build a story of hope about what is possible.

This is the job of an entrepreneurial leader.

It's not easy, but that's what makes you special.