Leadership - 2015 Archive - Page 2

We began the conversation last week with the merging of E-Myth Benchmark and Henderson Business Group. The relationship between our two organizations began several years ago, as two companies serving similar clients in similar marketplaces, with completely different but complimentary services. We held joint seminars in several cities in the Midwest, and it was during these seminars, and successful transitions of clients designing and growing their businesses through one organization, then selling it through the other, that a real synergy began to develop. E-Myth Benchmark has always believed and coached to the principals of Michael Gerber's E-Myth Revisited, including the core belief that your business should be a vehicle to give you more life, not take the life out of you. More “life” is the simple expression of more satisfaction, more money, more time, more freedom. It is the dream that business owners start out with, but struggle to realize.

As a fellow business owner, you know what it's like to watch your business grow from a kernel of an idea into a living and breathing reality. Like us, you've experienced the ups and downs of owning a business, but also know how rewarding it is to watch your vision in action.   Our newsletters typically focus on challenging the way you think about your business and providing you with easy to implement ideas and best practices. This month we're planning to get a bit more personal as we talk about our personal journey in re-imagining our business.

Enjoy this quick video introducing our newly imagined company, then read more to understand our journey. 

This month we have been looking at what causes resistance to Change, and the beliefs, attitudes, and experiences that feed the fear of Change. Now that there is a better understanding of what gets in our way, it is time to embrace those elements and leverage them to become the Champion of Change that your business needs!

Last week we identified factors that contribute to the resistance of change. As we continue to explore the topic of change, we will dive into three elements that reinforce our resistance to change: Our Beliefs, Our Experiences, and Our Attitudes. These elements live inside each of us, molding who we are and how we visualize and interact with our surroundings. We develop these three elements through living the lives we have chosen, and to change them, we have to be willing to look in the mirror and see the people we are and identify what needs to be different in order to achieve the change we desire in our business and in our life.    

There are few things in business and in life that are constant and guaranteed. Possibly the scariest of these things is ‘change.’ As human beings, we like order, structure, and a sense for knowing what is coming next. What we don’t like to face is the inevitable shifting of our reality. When an event, whether in our personal lives or in our businesses, causes a shift in the status quo, stress and uncertainty build. The question becomes: How do you deal with the stress and uncertainty? This month we will look at what causes resistance to Change, the beliefs, attitudes, and experiences that feed the fear of Change, and lastly, what you can do to embrace change.

Every so often we come across a simple idea, tool or resource that we just have to share with our clients. As business owners, we know that you've got a lot on your plate and can always use ideas and tools to help stay organized. This week we've got two words for you: Whiteboard Notebooks.

At the beginning of this month, we discussed getting unstuck from your organizational chart and looking at your business from a strategic point of view.   In order to lead from a strategic point of view, you must know where your business is headed.  As a business owner, you've probably been told that you need to have a clear vision.  In fact, many of you probably have a written vision statement....somewhere.

Having a vision statement is simply the first step.  If your vision statement lives in a drawer, a dusty old binder, or even an unused electronic file, then you you might as well not have it.  A vision, is only as good as its use.  In order to truly lead from a strategic point of view, you have to make sure that your employees connected to your vision, starting today.  Here are three questions you should ask about how well everyone in your company is connected to your vision:

This month, we've been focused on your point of view.  We've challenged you to be aware of the point of view that you have and cautioned against letting your personal feelings cloud your point of view, but how do you actually change your point of view?  Here are a few tips to get you started:

Quote: "One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results." - Milton Friedman  

Question: What areas of your business are not getting the results that you want?

Chances are as a business owner you're filling multiple roles on your organizational chart. In some cases, you are the CEO, the CFO, the salesperson and perhaps sometimes the technician. Every day you're focused on balancing your time and efforts, but often what isn't as balanced is your point of view. When you spend so much time filling operational roles in your business, it can be easy to view your business from those roles and not the role of an entrepreneur.