Monday, July 25, 2011

Prevent Self-Sabotage

One of the key traits of most people who are successful in starting a business is that they find it hard to hand their baby over to a group of professional managers.

It is easy to understand in some ways.

You have spent a few years of your life going through all the hardship and stress of fighting every single day to have the business stay alive. Now that it is going well enough to grow rapidly you bring on board more and more staff.

These people don’t know what it took to bring the company to where it is. They don’t appreciate the effort.

The best of them are excited to be joining a fast growing company, but they need to be led. The worst of them clock on and clock off to collect their pay cheque. They all look to you for the answers.

Meanwhile, the founder(s) feel that they are being left out of decisions and they aren’t kept in the loop on everything. This breeds resentment.

Recognise yourself in here? I have met many who do – guess what, it just means that you are human.
If you recognise yourself forcing the company to take risks that no-one else is comfortable taking, then pay attention.

If you find yourself actively damaging the business in order to regain control or to just make a point, then it may be time for you to step out.

Many of the more successful entrepreneurs recognise this stage and step back by appointing a CEO and spending most of their time on launching a new company. They own most of the company after all, and if it grows strongly then they can reap the rewards.

You may not think that this will ever happen to you, but it happens even to the best. Watch your own feelings and if you feel like sabotaging your business go on a holiday instead.

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