Growth requires change, but how difficult it is to change! Human beings don’t do change very well yet change is what must happen for a company to grow.
The key word is letting go. When you are moving from the Manager level to the C-Suite, you have to let go. When you have been a great salesperson and are promoted to Sales Manager, you have to let go. When you start a company, it grows to half a dozen employees, then suddenly is 25 employees, you have to let go. From mom and pop shop to a dozen contractors, the story is the same, you have to let go.
When anyone is moving up a level, there are more things to stop doing than new things to start doing. When you see something that needs to be done, go to the person accountable for it rather than do it yourself. I’m not suggesting servant leadership is dead, but rather there are things only you can do and those are your priorities.
No longer is it a small team all working together and sharing the load. Now it is you, the CEO (other COO), delegating to your senior management, entrusting things to them that you used to do. It feels weird, different, uncomfortable. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable if you want to grow your company.
In order for your company to grow, you must change. It’s that simple. YOU are the greatest barrier to growth for your team or company. You have the ability to limit growth or let go and watch it grow.
Consider this image: you must go from a shepherd to a rancher. The shepherd has direct contact with all the sheep in the flock. The rancher has ranch hands who are in direct contact with the animals and do the chores, while you direct the activity decide on next steps to expand. You have chores too, but different ones. The rancher who wants to be in personal touch with every animal will soon watch those animals die because there is no way one person can do all that is necessary. This is what will happen to the company whose leader does not let go.
Possible action points:
(1) Read “The Next Level” by Scott Eblin. A great resource for moving to the next level of leadership.
(2) Figure out the 3 things that only you can do, then delegate everything else. Be a servant but realize if you don’t do these things, i.e. keep the vision before your team, no one else is going to do it.
(3) Get a coach. I know, I always say this, but it works. Everyone has blind spots and needs a nudge. Everyone can learn from coaching.
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Jeffery A. Raker, Level Up Leadership Coaching