Real leadership is rare; micromanagement is all too common. As business leaders, we must stop trying to play every instrument ourselves and start conducting the orchestra. If we don’t conduct, who will?
Embrace the Role of a Strategic Business Owner
As a Strategic Business Owner, your primary goal should be to develop a self-managing, systems-oriented business that operates consistently, predictably, smoothly, and profitably even in your absence. To achieve this, you must shape and own the business system while employing competent and caring employees to operate it. Here’s how to transition from micromanaging to strategic leadership:
1. Document and Delegate:
- Define and document the specific tasks within your business.
- Train others to execute these tasks effectively.
- Make yourself replaceable in the technical aspects of your business.
2. Adopt the Right Mindset:
- Abandon the “I’ll do it myself” and “No one does it as well as I do” attitudes.
- If someone else can do a task 80-90% as well as you, delegate it.
- Avoid spending a dollar’s worth of time on a dime task. Focus on activities that align with your CEO responsibilities and delegate the rest.
Effective Delegation
To delegate effectively, you must:
- Clearly define the work to be done. You cannot delegate non-specific tasks.
- Value your time and discriminate between various activities. Ask yourself:
- “Does this task lead directly to increased profits, significantly reduced costs, improved customer satisfaction, or building a better business?”
- “Is this task worth what I get paid per hour?” If not, delegate it to someone who can do it at a lower cost.
- Realize that your CEO thoughts and actions (such as building systems, leading, planning, holding people accountable, and coaching other leaders) are highly valuable.
Empower Your Team
- Get Out of the Way: Once you have competent employees, step back and let them do their jobs. Help them clarify their roles, responsibilities, goals, and tasks, then hold them accountable for achieving results.
- Monitor, Don’t Control: Track performance but avoid micromanaging. Provide guidance and support when needed but allow your team the freedom to tackle challenges independently.
- Manage by Results: Focus on outcomes rather than processes. If your systems are well-designed and your training is effective, you can manage by metrics and address issues only when exceptions occur.
Focus on Leadership
Leadership is less about doing and more about thinking, planning, and overseeing the work of others. Your role as a leader is to create jobs, not to work them. By shifting your focus from micromanagement to strategic leadership, you can foster a more efficient, empowered, and productive organization.
By embracing these principles, you will transition from a micromanager to a true leader, capable of guiding your business towards sustained growth and success.
Reach out to us. We are experts in business growth improving top-line revenue and bottom-line profits.
With over 40 years of C-level business experience and an MBA in organizational development, I am uniquely qualified to help you achieve success in your business. Call us if you want to eliminate the status quo and make significant improvements in your success.
garyfurr@garyfurrconsulting.com
503-312-3145
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