Is Urgency Important as an Entrepreneur?

I was recently speaking with a very successful entrepreneur about how others can grow and succeed. They said that too many entrepreneurs act with a sense of urgency and they shouldn’t. It really shocked me that they would give this advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Before I continue, I must come out and say I disagree.

But wait there’s more! 

Urgency as an entrepreneur is one of the few tools in your toolbox that you have absolute control over. As an entrepreneur and someone who coaches other entrepreneurs, I tell them to “ACT WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY but never be in a hurry.” As I discussed what the entrepreneur above said to me and gave them my edict, they agreed and qualified what they meant a bit. They went on to say, “Urgency is crucial, but you don’t have to let it rule your life”. So I reiterated, “You can act with urgency but also NOT be in a hurry.”

What do I mean? Let me give an example. Let’s say you are in the process of launching a new product, including everything from product development, to quality control, to market testing, you must act with a sense of urgency. You want everyone to appreciate how important this product launch is and how important it is to get to market. However you DON’T have to be in a hurry.  In other words, urgency IS important, but it doesn’t have to take over your life in order to work. Act with urgency, be relentless in your drive and dedication, but don’t let the urgency blind you and cause chaos in your business and personal life. So, after listening to the successful entrepreneur discuss urgency a little more, we were in fact on the same page, they just needed to explain exactly what they meant.

Urgency is crucial, but most effective when harnessed properly.