Recently I worked with the CEO of who ran several successful companies simultaneously.
Her biggest challenge was she worked 16 hours a day, 6 days a week. She loved her work, and had competent staff, but she couldn’t find 30 minutes a day to work on a critical project that would catapult her primary business.
When I asked if she could block out time each day to work on this project, she said she could try but had been unsuccessful doing this in the past. Her customers were very demanding and some wouldn’t talk to anyone but her. If she were on vacation or out of town, her staff would call her if the customer insisted on talking to her.
She found it difficult to work from home so she could get the much needed focused time. I could see why she was frustrated.
She’d trained her demanding customers that she would take care of their needs wherever she was in the world. None of her staff were qualified to help them. When I asked if the staff could be trained to take more of these questions, she said they didn’t have the temperament. Could she hire a COO? She’d had one once, then she left. She hadn’t found her replacement yet.
Finally, I said that she was never going to move forward on this critical project unless she made some major changes in how she operated. She’d be stuck working 16 hours a day and her company would be stuck at their current level.
I leaned in and gently said, “You are giving away your future to others.”
By continuing to let others have the time she should have invested in this project, she was giving away her future. She got visibly upset and vowed to make changes in how she managed her companies and her life. I helped her come up with some strategies to begin this shift immediately.
Do you see yourself in this story in any way? If so, do you see that you are giving away your future? What can you do to take back your focus and create the future you want?
Recently I coached a CEO who ran several successful companies simultaneously.
Her biggest challenge was she worked 16 hours a day, 6 days a week. She loved her work, and had competent staff, but she couldn’t find 30 minutes a day to work on a critical project that would catapult her primary business.
When I asked if she could block out time each day to work on this project, she said she could try but had been unsuccessful doing this in the past. Her customers were very demanding and some wouldn’t talk to anyone but her. If she were on vacation or out of town, her staff would call her if the customer insisted on talking to her.
She found it difficult to work from home so she could get the much needed focused time. I could see why she was frustrated.
She’d trained her demanding customers that she would take care of their needs wherever she was in the world. None of her staff were qualified to help them. When I asked if the staff could be trained to take more of these questions, she said they didn’t have the temperament. Could she hire a COO? She’d had one once, then the COO left. She hadn’t found a replacement yet.
Finally, I said that she was never going to move forward on this critical project unless she made some major changes in how she operated. She’d be stuck working 16 hours a day and her company would be stuck at their current level.
I leaned in and gently said, “You are giving away your future to others.”
By continuing to let others have the time she should have invested in this project, she was giving away her future. She got visibly upset and vowed to make changes in how she managed her companies and her life. I helped her come up with some strategies to begin this shift immediately.
Do you see yourself in this story in any way? If so, do you see that you are giving away your future? What can you do to take back your focus and create the future you want?
Great thoughts, Rebecca. Many members in my two Vistage CEO groups feel that their company owns them even though they own the company. I’ve observed that there is definitely an adrenaline rush from being the “go to” person in their organization. As SAKU (Source of All Knowledge in the Universe), however, these CEO’s come to realize that they are also a magnet for all of the trivia and drama of their organizations as well. As with most challenges, the first step is awareness. Finding great people who may even be better is some areas than oneself is next, and learning to delegate effectively follows. This challenge is especially difficult for CEO’s who are more superstars than business leaders.
Reminds me of the story of the man who was cutting down trees with a dull axe. A lumberjack came by and suggested he sharpen his axe. The man replied: “I don’t have time. I have all these trees I have to cut down.”