A common problem experienced by small business owners is a lack of time to focus on building their business. They understand that to be successful, the business should run independently of themselves, should have the right people, right systems, right customers and be making a profit.

However, a range of different factors pulls their attention somewhere else, from spending too much time putting out ‘fires’ to doing routine day-to-day work of the business because there is not enough funding to hire extra employees. Sound familiar to you?
When I discuss this issue with clients, I ask the question “who cleans the toilet?” In a lot of cases the client will answer with pride “I do”.

The question I then ask is “do you think you could pay someone else to do it?” Followed very quickly by “you could then focus on the things you are good at doing that create value to your business”.

Let me explain. For each hour you spend ‘working’, what value do you think you are really adding to the performance of your business? Let’s say a cleaner can charge $25 per hour, a carpenter $40 per hour. In contrast, as a business owner, the value of your time in a leadership role in your business could be as much as $1,000 per hour.

Just before Christmas I was talking to a client about taking their business to the next level. In addition to the above questions, I asked “what are you good at doing?” The answer was “I am fantastic at selling & closing the deal.” Great! Then I let fly with the next question “so what do you currently do?” The answer will shock you as much as it did me… “I answer the phone, deal with problems & process some of the MYOB stuff.”

What a lost opportunity! Unfortunately, one we see far too often. Here was a person capable of selling equipment & consulting services of $5,000 per transaction, spending his time doing the work that he could be paying someone else $25 per hour to do.

So you ask, where am I headed with this story? The answer is one word…. LEADERSHIP! 

General H Norman Schwarzkopf, better known as Stormin’ Norman after his role in Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War said, "When placed in command --take charge."

Your role as Leader in your business is to take charge and simply to focus on:

1. Client retention & new business growth
2. Marketing your business
3. Looking after high end sales that you have not yet trained others to sell
4. Mentoring & guiding your team

Nowhere does this say cleaning the toilet, nailing the nail, data entry into MYOB or answering the phone. You pay other people to do this so you can do the activities that create the most value for your business (and ultimately you).

Many years ago I was fortunate to deal with Harry a successful and interesting printer. Why was he interesting? He didn’t know how to print! Most people go into business today because they are good at doing the technical work, but not necessarily good at running a business.

Harry was a successful business owner because he understood his time was worth more in a Leadership role than being spent doing the printing work. Harry knew how to lead and manage people and knew the value of building relationships with his clients to make sure they kept coming back. Harry passed all 4 of the roles of leadership; he built and eventually sold a very successful business.

Take a moment now to think about your role as leader in your business. Anything else you are doing in your business outside of these leadership roles could be done by someone else … and in a lot of cases your team will do a better job because they are keener at reaching out for challenges and opportunity.

Sound simple doesn’t it…but don’t confuse simple with easy.

To help you focus on your leadership role I pose the following questions to you:

• What are you going to stop doing?
• What are you going to start doing?
• What are you going to continue doing?

I’ll leave you now with a definition: “Leadership is sharing & living the business core values so that the people in the organisation perform at their best, working together toward common goals.”

If you want to know more about implementing Leadership change in your business please give Terry Dewing a call at Sullivan Dewing on 9526 1211.