August 11, 2010

Like it or not, you’re a leader. Not because you are “the boss”, but, more importantly, because you have committed yourself to creating a company and realizing your vision. Leadership means more than managing; it means communicating, inspiring, empowering and nurturing those who are in fact delivering your mission. 

For your leadership to have a positive impact, you must embrace your role and work to become the leader your business deserves. But, this may create a bit of a conundrum. Being the leader makes you not only a vital asset but also a liability if the company cannot operate without you. So I challenge you to do three things: conduct a self-assessment, never stop learning, and finally, delegate and let go.

• Conduct a Self-Assessment: Start by answering some basic questions: What are you really great at? What do you like doing? Conversely, what are your areas of weakness? What do you most dislike doing? Tasks you dislike are probably the ones you do least well. Once you have an assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, you can consciously hire people who complement your strengths. Love selling? Hire a numbers guru. Are you the creative visionary? Hire a structured operations person. Look for someone with skills different from your own. Their unique strengths and fresh perspective can make a positive impact on your business. 
  

• Never Stop Learning: Managing the day-to-day mechanics of your business can start to feel like you’re on a treadmill. Like Michael Gerber suggests in his book, The E-Myth Revisited, work on your business, not in it. Working “on” your business means establishing and refining your business vision by constantly learning and searching for new ideas and ways to respond to challenges. Keep your mind fresh by reading articles and blogs, meeting people, and attending events. There is a world of creative ideas just outside your door. But if you’re going to get out in front, you’ve got to get off the treadmill.  
  

• Delegate and Let Go: Whether your company is two people or 2,000, the truest test of leadership is how well the business runs without you. This requires delegation, and delegation requires clear and careful communication. Communicate and involve others in your vision and empower them with the tools and support they need to make it come to life. Remember to always communicate the “why” rather than the “how.” As Jack Welch says in his book, Winning, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” Practice letting go by assessing the risks and benefits of doing so at every opportunity. Take small risks, and the big ones become less risky! 
  

There are so many ways to grow as a leader, and so many opportunities to lead, rather than manage. I hope this inspires you to see each day as an opportunity to try something new and to experiment with your leadership. I encourage you to read OPEN Book: Leadership, which includes additional articles on leadership. And I hope you’ll look to OPEN as a source of continued support as you build upon your strengths and inspiration. 

Related Topics

• Managing

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Join the conversation ( 4 )

• Thursday Bram 1 year 9 months and 5 days ago

  

  I feel like your first two points are relatively easy — not necessarily very easy, but easier than delegating. For a small business owner to come to the conclusion that another person can get things done is tough. At best, we have to come to grips that things don't have to be done exactly the way we would do them and perhaps even that our way isn't the best way. It's as hard as it is necessary.

• Susan Sobbott 1 year 9 months and 7 days ago

  

  Anita, Timothy - Thank you both for the positive notes. I agree. The ability to step outside of the day-to-day is really important.

• TJ McCue 1 year 9 months and 11 days ago

  

  Thanks for the post, Susan. I agree with Anita on the first point and assessing oneself. I'd add that over the years continual, lifelong learning plays in to my self assessment. The biggest struggle i have is working on, not in, my business. That's the holy grail because it enables us, as biz owners, to really grow a small co. Thanks for the reminders.

• Anita Campbell 1 year 9 months and 12 days ago

  

  Hi Susan, your first point about assessing yourself is such an important one. If you don't have the skills in a particular area, it's not just your own weakness -- it becomes a weakness of the business. There's a mindset shift that must happen when you go from being a solo entrepreneur, to running a business organization with employees and other stakeholders. And that mindset shift is that you must think not just about what you want to do or like to do each day in your workday, but what's needed in your business. That may seem obvious, but it's hard to step outside yourself in practice and look objectively at the business needs. It doesn't come naturally to many business owners.- Anita