Adopt an Owner mentality
Author: Calvin Dorman
Date Published: 9 August 9, 2010
What do I mean by Owner Mentality?
Simply this, just because you own a small business it does not necessarily mean that you have Owner Mentality. You could in fact just be a very good manager. I have seen many small business owners that get caught up in the Manager mentality and this poses a fundamental treat to the long term sustainability of any newly found small business because these owners try to manage every aspect of their business.
In a nutshell we can compare owners and managers as follows:
1. OWNERS: Focus on the growth of the company, whilst MANAGERS want better systems.
2. OWNERS negotiate deals for long term gain while MANAGERS want to control everything now. ( Operations Driven)
3. OWNERS are by nature practical people and thrive on calculated risks that pay sustainable rewards. They focus on building relationships with customers and staff alike. MANAGERS tend to be more materially conscious and prefer fancy offices and parking space with medical aid benefits and a golden handshake on retirement.
4. OWNERS are strategically focused (big picture focus) whilst MANAGERS (rightfully so) are obsessed with attention to detail. ( Task focused)
Reflect on the above with some honest introspection as a business owner. Is the growth of your business suffering because you are too caught up managing the day to day operations instead of building long term relationships with key stakeholders and partners that can grow your business to the next level?
What are some of the core characteristics that OWNERS possess? Here they are (CEO):
COURAGE
Many of us shy away from a challenge. Maybe we just don’t like confrontation or we prefer the path of least resistance. However there comes a time when we individually must face our deepest fears and have the COURAGE to Stand up for what we believe in.
ENERGY
Where do you see yourself in the next few years? Do not allow limitations either real or perceived, keep you from reaching your goal and suck away your ENERGY. Stay energized and you will be amazed at the outcome.
OPTIMISM
Did you ever hear the old glass half full/half empty analogy? You have a 50/50 chance of being either POSITIVE or negative. Which side do you find yourself on most of the time? Negative thinking can be a very hard habit to break but the good thing is that it can be remedied.
Speak and act positively. Replace negative self-talk with uplifting messages that you tape to your mirror and day planner. Before you know it you will think positively. OPTIMISM is contagious so surround you with people that are upbeat and encouraging.
Conclusion: If you are a business OWNER, ask yourself what role you want to play in the company as it goes through its various stages of growth. You will save yourself and others around you a lot of frustration if you have a general sense of whether or not you want to be CEO – and you make this clear during the early discussions.
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