Part 3 of Mike's 5-part leadership series

I like giving information interviews. (There. I’ve said it. If the phone now rings off the hook, it’s my own fault.) At least three times each week, a brave entrepreneur (for the record, I believe they’re all brave) sends me an email, or gives me a ring, to ask if they can “buy me a coffee” and “pick my brain” about their business. I make time for as many as I can.

Many, perhaps most, of these conversations are as fruitful for me as I hope they are for the entrepreneurs across the table. A handful of them are truly inspiring, instances when I get a glimpse of the vast potential of a true and compelling vision. And some fall into another category, one best captured by an old saying about a road "paved with good intentions."

Most entrepreneurs suffer from "shiny object syndrome." They’re compelled to chase each of the bright new ideas that show up on their path. But ideas are cheap...

Successful entrepreneurs obsess about execution

They stay focused on building something of enduring value. Execution in social enterprise is the same as execution in any other organization: It boils down to articulating a goal, working hard and smart, and achieving results.

Goal-oriented leaders - those who achieve admirable results - are TE Lawrence’s “dreamers of the day.” They’re the precious few who take their vision and follow the steps that will make it reality. These leaders share four key practices that distinguish them from their vision-oriented peers: