Grow into a ProActive CEO

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One day a few years into the venture, a CEO of an emerging mid-market business comes to the sickening realization that he (or she) is on a treadmill. The growth of the business has made more and more demands on the CEO's time and finances. And although growth is a "good" problem to have, it has extracted an unreasonable toll on other things the CEO wants, like solid mental health and a rewarding family life. Until (unless) the CEO decides to grow into a ProActive CEO. (We know how to spell proactive, but since our coaching brand spells it the other way we're doing it our way today.)

Early on, the player-coach model serves the business purpose of keeping the organizational structure simple and the people-related costs low. In addition to the function of CEO, the owner is often also the COO, CTO, CIO, CMO, CFO and any other C_O titles you can think of.

There are several consequences associated with this model, but here are a handful of the biggies:

  • The CEO is not likely to possess deeply developed skill in all of the functions he covers. So the jobs are not necessarily being done well.
  • The CEO is being pulled in so many different directions that work and life satisfaction are compromised. What is the point of being the boss if you can never get away to see your kids' ball games or take a vacation? 
  • The CEO can't see the forest - can't work ON the business - unless and until she allocates time to lift her head from the daily grind. Moreover, years of habit living eyeball deep in the daily stuff make it more difficult to see beyond a close horizon. How can a CEO make sound strategic decisions when he can't see down the street, much less around the corner or over the hill?
Growing into a ProActive CEO

This is a becoming process. One doesn't simply make the decision to be a ProActive CEO, wave a magic wand, and transform the business AND one's life overnight. It is not comfortable. And it extends beyond the CEO into the rest of the leadership team and the company.

If you are contemplating your company's level of success, and/or the quality of your life outside of your business, here are some questions for you to answer:
  1. What do you want from your business? How does that relate to what you want from your life?
  2. Where is your highest and best use in the business? 
  3. Do you know where you want the business to go, and how you are going to get there?
  4. Can your current team and work processes take the business into your desired future? Why or why not?
  5. To what extent does the business rely on your individual efforts to sustain itself? How do you feel about your answer?
  6. Are you able to plan your day and stick to your plan?
The Good News

The good news is that you do not have to take a giant step to begin to grow into a ProActive CEO. You need to take A step. One step leads the way. It also helps to have a coach that understands your challenges as a leader AND understands how to help you grow your business. That's us. We can have a chat with you and help you assess your business's health FOR FREE. Once you have that information you can lay out a game plan that works for you.

Is it time to get off the treadmill and build what you really want? Let's talk.

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