The Obstacles of the Unleveraged Operator

Last week, we discussed the first of the four hats of a CEO, the Artist. As the artist, you began your entrepreneurial journey as the creative catalyst. The one who strategizes with a burning passion to create something amazing for your niche. As your business grew larger and larger, you took on more roles and responsibilities. You were no longer just the creative mind behind the ideas.?

Eventually, you become what we like to call the Operator. As an Operator, you are the technician behind the business. A single, well oiled machine. You are the one finding the time and effort to keep the business running. You work the long hours and put in the hard work. You know what needs to be done and YOU are going to be the one to do it.?

As the operator you know and trust your quality of work. However, the job can become too much for one person and the business can end up running you. You become exhausted, the work isn’t at the level it used to be, and you start to lose your spark. Your once well oiled machine now needs an oil change.

Time for a vacation sounds amazing but then you know that all the work is still piling up for when you return.?The stress of leaving for a week is too much, so you decide not to go.?If you do decide to go, you aren't enjoying it as much because you are worried about what awaits.?What is interesting you are also avoiding things at work (aka Procrastinating). To really help this exhaustion and avoidance you need some leverage. We must delegate to ascend to higher rungs on the ladder that is our business before it crushes us back to the ground. Don’t get me wrong though, delegating isn't always easy. Your business is your baby. It can be unsettling to trust your hard work in the hands of another.?

You may feel like you are the only one who is capable of doing the job correctly, but with the right guidance and right people, delegating will result in growth for you and your business.?

Here are a few tips on delegating:?

• Understand it is okay to let go a bit?
• Decide what needs to be delegated to others. What tasks can you trust in the hands of others? What tasks do you NOT enjoy? What tasks do you avoid???
• Maybe you don't really need to delegate, maybe you just need to eliminate some work?
• Find people who understand you, your business, and have the right skill set for the tasks.
• Define and describe what you want these people to accomplish and what success looks like

What would you delegate to the ideal person?