Managing Yourself

Much is spoken and written about managing your team. But as CEO of a growing small business, you will need to manage yourself: your own education, information flow, inspiration and passion. Being an effective leader means keeping yourself at the top of your game, not just in business but in spirit as well.

One of the traits identified in successful CEO’s is something called “passionate curiosity.” Coined by Neil Minow, co-founder of the Corporate Library, passionate curiosity is the desire to–the need to– know the how, the what and the why of everything. CEO’s aren’t necessarily the smartest people in the room but do have the strongest desire to learn. What if I did it a different way? How can I change it to make it better, faster, quicker, more profitable?

Are you passionately curious? Did you start your business with that deep, in-your-gut type of drive only to have it fade over time? The intensity of a long-term business commitment can erode passion: the minutia of day-to-day operations, tough times and difficult employees can all cause energy to ebb.

The key to success through passionate curiosity is sustainability. What can you do to maintain high levels of passion for your business? First, take ownership of the fact that you are responsible for maintaining your passion. If you don’t nurture yourself, it won’t be hard to let employees, clients or colleagues suck you dry.

Make “What if?” your favorite question

What if I hired a different person to do that job? What if I bundled my products differently? What if I changed my work flow? Consistent questioning of your concept and processes will lead you to new and better solutions.

Don’t work in a vacuum

Studies show adults produce 65 to 93 percent more ideas in groups. So find passion partners or form an informal advisory board by identifying friends and colleagues who are, in your opinion, passionately curious. Preferably, they will come from different industries and backgrounds. Arrange to meet with them on a regular basis and use these meetings as forums where participants are invited to throw out the biggest, best and dumbest ideas. No judgments allowed. You’ll all share tremendous energy and inspiration.

Allow yourself time away from the day-to-day minutia

The biggest killer of big thinking is the mundane. If you can, delegate some of the daily chores. If you can’t, schedule time to get away from them. Even if you take an hour a week to think quietly and create, you will reap the rewards.

Manage your expectations

Few things are more detrimental to success than expecting more. than is realistically possible at a given moment in time. I have worked with owners who were doing quite well for their particular stage in business, but because they had such lofty expectations, always felt defeated.

Self-motivation and inspiration

There’s a certain amount of isolation that goes along with being a business owner. You and you alone are responsible for the majority of the decision making and certainly the hard work of leading by example. It can lead to burn out. Business ownership is draining.

You have to constantly replenish your soul with information and inspiration. Whether it’s through reading, keeping a journal, practicing yoga or trying new experiments with your business, keep a constant flow of new information and experiences going that will help trigger ideas, creative energy and new perspectives. Create your touchstone by envisioning what your life will feel like when you have reached your business goals.

Get out of your store

Successful retail ownership requires a 360 degree view of the world. Since retail requires to you spend many hours in the store, it may prevent you from benefiting from different perspectives. So get out. Network. Join a community group. Go on field trips. See what the rest of the world looks like and use that new information to help grow your business.

Treat yourself with respect

You are, after all, the CEO. Treat yourself as well as you would someone who works for you. Be kind. Be complimentary. Be appreciative of all the things you do.

Being the top dog doesn’t mean working like one. Commit to doing what it takes to keep your head clear and your passions ignited. No one wants to work for a crazy person. Least of all, you.