Self-leadership for business owners: Time to get out of your own way
One of the most common truths I share with the business owners I meet is: your business will never outgrow you. Not your product, not your team, not your revenue – you. Before you can effectively lead your team and your business, you must be able to lead yourself.
Too many get caught in a cycle of micro-management, indecision, and burnout, thinking that their grip is the glue holding everything together. In reality, that tight hold is often the very thing keeping your business from growing.
But here you are, juggling everything, knackered, & wondering why it all feels so bloody hard. You didn’t start a business to work longer hours than you did in a job… for less money & more sleepless nights!
As I say, if you are a control freak and you are not in control… you are just a freak!
Self-leadership is the foundation of all great businesses. It involves having clarity in your vision, confidence in your decisions, and the humility to admit that you don’t have all the answers. When you can lead yourself with discipline, awareness, and purpose, your team will naturally start to reflect that same alignment.
If you can’t lead yourself and you constantly change your mind, you micro-manage and tell rather than coach, it rubs off and your team suffers.
The shift from “doing everything” to “enabling everyone” is the pivotal point between being a business operator and a true business leader.
The goal is not to be the smartest person in the room, but to empower others to step up, take ownership, and contribute to a shared vision.
This is how you unlock the potential of your business. By having a team that can run and grow the business, whilst you take a step back and get out of their way.
Getting out of your own way first isn’t easy. It takes reflection, trust, and a willingness to evolve. But when you do, the results can be transformational – for you, your team, and your entire business.
Ask yourself these five questions to lead better:
- Am I making space for my team to contribute meaningfully, or am I trying to control everything?
- Do I have a clear, documented plan and vision that the team can align with and rally behind?
- Where am I avoiding difficult decisions or conversations out of fear or habit?
- Have I invested in my own growth and development as intentionally as I expect my team to?
- What tasks or decisions could I delegate today that would free me up to think more strategically?
Your team doesn’t just need a boss, they need a leader. And that starts with you leading yourself.
It’s time to stop being your biggest obstacle and allow your team and your business to flourish.
What is stopping you?
If you are looking for a sounding board to help you challenge the status quo, hold you to account, or need help developing a plan to navigate your next steps proactively, it’s time to chat.
