We don’t teach passion or purpose or the power of claiming ownership. Why? Because passion, purpose, and claiming authorship can’t be taught! However, these life-giving elements can be discovered! The Engler Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln has been built on a foundation of embracing the discovery process where each aspiring entrepreneur is accepted as a unique bundle of brand equity with potential that can either be grown or depleted.
In the discovery process, our approach is to practice the time honored principles set forth by business thought leaders such as Tom Peters, Jim Collins, Diana Kander and Seth Godin. Chief among these principles is a willingness to eliminate hierarchy in favor of creating a culture and environment where autonomy, mastery and purpose drive outcomes. The Engler model is driven by questions instead of answers, fast learning in an environment where failure is not only tolerated but celebrated, and where the process of discovery is not constrained to a specific block of time but embraced as a lifetime pursuit.