If you’re running a business, you’re probably used to solving issues yourself. When there’s an issue, you jump in to fix it. It’s quicker that way.
While this might be true, it doesn’t mean it’s good for your business (or your mental health) in the long run. It leads to burnout, resentment, and a disempowered team.
It creates confusion because your team doesn’t know who’s truly responsible for a resolution – so no one takes action.
I learned this the hard way, earlier this year. I burned out big time.
My business had been going through a lot of changes, such as losing a key salesperson, mediating team issues, and upgrading our internal systems (which led to confusion and complexity).
I responded in panic, jumping in to solve problems myself instead of coaching my team to find a solution, prioritising performance and outcomes over connection, and over-optimising everything.
I created complex workflows with five steps of approval when a simple yes would do.
I added layers of oversight, when trust was all my team needed.
The team was drowning in processes, and I was working longer than ever.
I was working from a state of fear and lack, trying to control everything, which in turn, created a culture that was wound too tight, without the space to speak up.
These were all signs that our culture was compromised, and I had to revisit what we stand for, which is authenticity.
Vulnerability came naturally in my early days as CEO
When I was thrust into leadership with the loss of my father (and I discovered the millions of dollars in debt), I opened up to my team to share how scared I was and also the vision I had for the business.
I did a lot of listening and connecting with my team.
But over the years as we’ve grown, I stopped being as vulnerable.
I gained more confidence as a leader and when there were problems, I went into fix-it mode.
I didn’t pause to reflect on how I was being, as I was focused on what I was doing.
Psychological safety is key.
How to scale your agency without losing yourself
You can simplify systems, communication and collaboration, without losing momentum.
Here’s where to start:
- Mindset: A lot of the work is in stepping back and making space for self-reflection and contemplation. It requires always being real with yourself and your team.
Watch your limiting beliefs around ‘laziness’ and getting external validation from being ‘needed.’ Your time should be spent on high-leverage decisions, partnerships, systems and solutions.
- Systems: You can’t expect your team to self-organise, especially the busy salespeople.
You need a central operating system, clear workflows, clarity on who is responsible for what, and loopback systems for momentum. We love EOS but you have to find what works for your agency.
- Co-creation: The business needs to be bigger than you. Spend time working with each employee to understand their personal and professional goals, and connect it to your business mission.
Defining (and protecting) a culture is critical, especially for businesses like ours in sales. Reflect on the impact you want to create in our industry, in your area.
You could assemble a leadership team with and empower each department head and free up your time as a CEO.
Remember, this isn’t linear. You will lose key talent. The market will shift.
New innovations will uproot our industry.
There will be times when your team needs you more. This is all part of the leadership journey.
