Thanks to the proliferation of success stories like those of Facebook, Uber, and others, the entrepreneur has attracted a cowboy-like mystique in contemporary American business culture.
Programs like Shark Tank and figures like Richard Branson make it all seem so fast-paced, glamorous, and accessible. Yet, there seems to be a dangerous misconception that the successful entrepreneur is a lone genius, conspiring to singlehandedly disrupt entire industries and become a billionaire overnight.
I’m here to tell you that it takes, if not a village, certainly a team to achieve this, or any kind of real success in business today.
Here’s the thing. Maybe you’ve had a brilliant idea. Maybe you’ve translated that idea into a functioning business that’s catering to an existing demand and making money. Beyond the logistical fact that there’s no way you can possibly have enough time to oversee and complete all the vital tasks your business requires, you shouldn’t even want to attempt it.
Renaissance person that you may be, you still have natural strengths and weaknesses that you ought to be attuned to if you want to get the most out of your idea. If you spend too much time doing work that isn’t supported by your natural strengths, you’re essentially swimming upstream.
Doing what you do best depends on your overall state of balance and satisfaction. Trust me when I say that if you spread yourself too thin, you’ll start to suffer, not only at work but at home. Having people on your team whose natural strengths are different than and complementary to yours is key.
While the members of your team should be built around you to accommodate and capitalize on those strengths and weaknesses with a view on achieving consistently smooth operations, other members of your team can play their part from outside the organization. It’s important to have a support system that is not directly invested in your business.
This is where a coach comes in. Some coaches want to sell you snake oil and tell you that it’s easy to grow your business into an 8 figure empire, no matter what it is, as long as you follow their simple advice. This just isn’t true and those coaches peddling this kind of solution are irresponsible.
What a coach really ought to do is help you find the place where you’re harnessing your strengths and working with your weaknesses. A place where your work is empowering you, not making you come unraveled day by day.
The cowboy ethos makes for great cinema, but in real life business, you need a team to succeed. The right coach can help you organize your life in a way that allows you to realize your potential and achieve success the way you define it.
Interested in a coaching session with me? Schedule one here or email me directly at scott@doubledareyou.us for more information.
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photo credit: Tunisia-3989 via photopin (license)
