Unmasking entrepreneurial leadership: aspects by which leaders influence small business

This present paper explores the state of entrepreneurial leadership in small businesses, an area that is very much in its infancy. It discusses the context of entrepreneurial leadership and summarises research evidence related to the narratives of Nigerian business owners. Using field data and existing literature, we advance a formal definition of entrepreneurial leadership and induce the introduction of entrepreneurial relational characteristics, attributes and skills. We demonstrate the socially constructed nature of entrepreneurial leadership and indicate the seemingly valuable interplay between selective and strategic attributes. Central to our contribution is the notion that empathy and people management are dominant relational characteristics. We conclude by providing implications for practice and policy as well as directions for future research.