| Assuming you are a true entrepreneur, you
naturally want to be a leader -- not a manager. You want to hire a manager. What is the difference?
A leader will
motivate. A manager is a technician, there to get things done for you. As a leader and a successful entrepreneur, your main focus should be to put
systems in place that will run your business for you, allowing
you to work on your business, not in it, and the freedom you work for.
Let the technicians run the day to day operations while you motivate your staff and make it all run like
the proverbial well-oiled machine.
Ask yourself
this: If you dared to go on vacation, would your company fall
apart? Would you get hit with a storm of work when you
returned? If you answered “yes” to either of these
questions, you do not have the proper systems in place.
Yes, it is very difficult as a entrepreneur
-- if you have the type of personality that most entrepreneurs
have -- to let go and delegate. Studies show that
entrepreneurs see their vision from the finished product back
-- unlike non-entrepreneurs who know they want to do something but have no idea on how to get there. So naturally leaders have a hard time delegating their dream, their
"baby." It's my blood, sweat, and tears that
went into this, and nobody is going to wreck it! Right?
But
micromanaging your staff can be the single most destructive cancer in your company. Ask yourself,
“Would I want to work for me?”
Delegation, trust, and
macro-managing are the first steps to putting your systems in place
and achieving a successful business.
Keep in
mind:
Leaders have long-term perspective.
Managers have short-term
perspective.
Leaders originate.
Managers imitate.
Leaders are originals.
Managers are a copy.
You didn’t birth
your business to create another job for yourself. Your
business is an investment, and the road to freedom. Play it well!
For more on this topic, read Lisa’s article in
the October 2005 issue of Fresh Cup Magazine or at their website.
Lisa Wynn is the owner of
Artisans Cup gourmet tea flavoring company. She is
a freelance writer for Fresh Cup Magazine and Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, and
a speaker at NASCORE.
Contact
Lisa through her website.
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