No this is not one of those self motivation, "i'm the boss of me", blogs. Its more about the mentality most start up shareholders have when it comes to contributing to its growth or its decline, The Title.
Titles: Director, CEO, Managing Partner etc, these are the options we choose to label ourselves when we start our businesses. I do not have a problem with what you call yourself but there is a tendency to be crippled by this self appointed title that you have bestowed upon yourself. Usually when you begin your company its you and whoever you start the project with. Your role is to get the project going so you are usually hands on and run around day to day trying to make it work. Sometimes you just invest in a start up and get given a title because of what you bring to the table, in terms of your particular skill.
The problem starts when growth begins and you start hiring specialists to take over certain functions in the company e.g. accounts, marketing etc. A growth in staff leads to the Boss type mentality because now you have underlings that you are in charge of. The Boss mentality is a dangerous one for many reasons, but i will focus on two main ones. Decision making and Micro Managing.
Decisions are the most important element of anyones success or failure. What you decide has repercussions, good or bad, for you and those around you down the line. In a company, when you have staff members hired to specifically provide a solution to your company, you have to be aware that your recruit is capable of providing that solution. Consulting with your staff is a vital part of your organistions growth. Not only do they become invested because they feel like part of the team but it also shows that you trust in their ability to do their job. Unfortunately the boss mentality belittles and sidelines the exact people who can provide the solutions your company needs to grow.
Micro Managing is damaging because it infuriates staff. It implies you do not trust in their ability to do the job. It also shows you got too much time on your hands, where you could easily apply that time formulating positive strategies for your company. Micro managing is also lording yourself on your employees as you spend most of your time taking away their productive working time through unnecessary meetings and feedback sessions. It dims creativity and brings despondency because your employees are not given the chance to show their creative ability to solve problems.
Overall the Boss mentality is destructive. You are part of the team because the employees you hired have bought into your vision and have become your partners for the success of the company. If you are a SME or a large company, you cannot segregate or detach yourself from the people are responsible for growing your orgnaisation. There is no I in TEAM and remember you are a leader, an example. Go to the shop floor, understand that persons reason for being in your company and more importantly empower your staff to come up with the solutions that benefit your organisation. Supervise, dont micro manage, decide after consulting, dont make decisions because you think you know it all. It could determine the success or failure of your business.
