Running a growing/entrepreneurial company is not for everyone. It can be challenging with many moving parts. One of the biggest challenges is “people.” I had a client once tell me: “If it weren’t for people, this business would be a cinch!”
He said it with a chuckle, but there was truth in his words. Managing people is one of the hardest things for entrepreneurs to do well because there are so many variables.
In order to run a great company, you must be a great leader and manager of people. This is the only way to build accountability across your organization.
There are thousands of books written explaining both disciplines, but we can boil it down to a few pertinent basics for each:
You’re in leadership mode when you’re working “on” the business. You create clear direction and build an opening for others in the organization to step up. It also includes strategizing and “thinking” about where the business is going.
When you’re managing, you’re working “in” the business. You need to excel at providing clear expectations with all of your direct reports and demonstrate exceptional communication (mostly listening skills), which leads to great execution.
Both disciplines are crucial to building solid accountability in your business. Let’s face the fact: You can’t “make” your people accountable. Instead, you must exude great leadership and management acumen to produce a highly accountable organization.
We’ll take a deeper dive into these two disciplines in future articles. In the meantime, remember that your job is to build a leadership team that excels at both. Your commitment to this will help you run a strong and long-lasting business.