Embrace Your Role as Company Leader
As their small businesses grow, many owners struggle to define their shifting roles within the organization.
It is a given that many business owners are great “doers.” After all, they’ve built successful businesses from the ground up. But as a business takes off, owners are suddenly confronted by tasks outside their skill set, such as hiring staff and creating administrative policies.
For many, this can be an uneasy process. But in order to grow, an owner must be willing to operate outside his comfort zone. He must make the transition from “doer” to “thinker”—i.e., from working in the business to working on the business.
A number of PRO members have hired top managers to fill their shoes, only to find themselves asking, “Now what do I do? What is my role?”
The answer is simple: as chief executive, your role is to keep a finger on the pulse of the business. It is to recognize opportunity when it presents itself, formulate company strategy, and make sure that you have the right people in place to seize those opportunities and implement those strategies. It is important for leaders to predict impacts to their business, both positive and negative. To do this it is necessary to get out of your office. Meet with others, read publications—get a vibration for what is going on around you and your business.
One PRO member who wrestled with this issue ultimately hired a president to replace himself, and now the owner serves as
chairman. He sums up his current role this way: “My job is to make sure the process we use can be repeated,” he says.
In other words, your role is to dissect the ingredients of your company’s success and ensure the processes are repeatable.
In addition, your role is to create your company’s culture. Is it be a formal environment? A creative one? Is it one in which employees are encouraged to take risks, or follow rules? More importantly— what kind of culture should it be?
Often, a company’s culture evolves haphazardly, springing from the founder’s personal style. But as your company grows, it’s wise to step back and evaluate the type of culture is most likely to foster productivity and ensure success. If necessary, you can tweak your corporate culture to better serve your goals.
And obviously, it is your goal—always—to provide leadership.
Are you spending your work time on leadership related activities— i.e., as a thinker more than a doer?
