Great ideas, untapped potential, and rapid sales aren’t always a formula for a successful entrepreneurial business. While we, as entrepreneurs, have many gifts, when it comes to building a business, we can feel like a fraud.
Most small business owners start out as sole proprietors with a lot of passion and a great idea that they build a business around. The focus quickly moves to making the business profitable or at the very least, keeping one’s head above water before personal financing runs out. There is often no clear distinction between the business and the person running it as we struggle to breathe life into our venture.
However, many successful entrepreneurial organizations come to a point where their business rapidly evolves, more people are brought in and the lack of systems and processes becomes quite clear. When leaders and individuals in a growing entrepreneurial organization are not working in alignment with what the people and business need, dysfunctions can quickly spiral out of control, with detrimental effects on the organization.
In stressful situations as this, most people will act out from a self-protective persona, choosing either to fight or flight / freeze. Some entrepreneurs tend to battle stress by leading using an autocratic style, which leaves employees feeling frightened and discouraged, diminishing any enthusiasm they may have about the venture. On the opposite end, we find business owners who become overly permissive, allowing employees to waste valuable time trying to figure things out for themselves so they don’t appear to be a micromanager (“I just want them to like me!”) and so they can continue concentrating on whatever work they actually find fun for themselves, staying in their comfort zone.
Our conversation with Benjamin DelGrosso on the Focus on Customer Experience podcast is a must listen for any entrepreneur who wants to learn how to power past the Imposter Syndrome (did you know about 70% of people experience it?), why it is important to effectively develop their employees (no more hands off approach!) and set expectations, and why self-awareness and self-development are so important in ensuring they don’t get stuck in the Peter Pan syndrome.
Our chat with Benjamin was full of gems that you can’t afford to miss! If you want to learn more about the Focus on Customer Experience podcast, check out the episode below.