Why did you start your business?
You were tired of working for somebody else, right? You were ready to do your own thing, chart your own course, manifest your own damn destiny!
You’re the captain of your ship, and that’s gratifying, exhilarating, and – let’s be honest – sometimes a little terrifying. It’s your name on the line and your team is depending on you to lead them fearlessly into a bright, prosperous future! That’s a LOT of pressure…
Trust me, I get it. When you start your own business, you’re taking a huge leap of faith AND asking everyone to trust you and come along for the ride. You don’t want to let your team down or disappoint all the wonderful people that supported you as you made this brave, bold leap.
But you know what? Fearless leadership begins with confidence. You’ve got to believe in yourself before you can expect anyone else to, so here are five important things to remember the next time your bravado falters!
1. Trust Yourself!
If you were an incompetent idiot, you wouldn’t have gotten this far, much less found an entire team of idiots willing to follow you into a sinking ship! If you’ve made it to the point that you are consistently bringing in reliable profits, you’ve obviously got something that’s working for you!
You have to trust yourself. There is no wrong way to build YOUR business. You started your company so you could do things YOUR way. You were determined to build a business structure that suits YOUR life. So, do it! You’re the boss, and you get to call the shots.
2. Experiment
I’m all about repeatable processes, but you never want to get stuck in a rut! The worst thing you can say as a business owner is, “we’ve always done it this way…”
Sure, that may have gotten you here, but it’s not propelling you to the next level of success.
Getting to the $1M+ mark requires ingenuity, creativity, and the willingness to take some risks. You can’t stay in that same little box and expect your business to grow. Don’t be afraid to try new methods, investigate cutting-edge strategies, or test out some of the latest tech. They won’t all be winners, but it really only takes one great idea to get ahead.
3. Add to Your Team
No captain sails out on their next great adventure alone. Your team is IMPERATIVE to your success, and as your business grows, so should your team.
You might have started off solo, or maybe with an assistant or two, but you’re going to need a bigger support system as you scale. It can be a little scary to hire new people just as your business is really taking off but think of it as an investment in your business and yourself. After all, how are you going to take on bigger projects if you don’t have enough people to do the work?
4. Collaborate
Speaking of teams, you need to use yours to maximize your growth efforts. They’re taking on the tasks that free you up to focus your genius on the most critical parts of your business, and that’s really important, but you can use your team for SO much more.
You hired your team members because they’re smart, capable, and filled with great ideas. Use that to your advantage! Tap your team to help you develop the strategies, systems, and SOPs that allow your business to scale exponentially and keep running like a well-oiled machine.
5. Encourage Growth
Continued excellence takes constant learning, and the more you encourage that in your team, and model it yourself, the better your business will be.
Give your team opportunities for growth whenever you can. Encourage them to broaden their skill set and try new things. Send them to seminars and conferences and cover the cost of new certifications or classes as often as possible. Your team will develop new skills, expertise, and experience, and your business will thrive!
Remember, this is YOUR business, and you get to decide exactly what it’s going to be, so get out there, trust yourself, and lead fearlessly!
