Entrepreneurs are passionate about their enterprise and excited to work hard to make it a success. Business builders spend tireless hours reading through reports, analyzing industry data and speaking with partners to make the necessary connections, gain the expertise to shake up a market and carve out a niche for the company among established peers. The inspiration of a dedicated leader is what motivates investors, employees and partners to participate and help develop the company as a collaborative effort.
The strength of an business builder’s physical and mental capabilities is often pushed to the limit at various stages of business development. Leaders are challenged to work countless hours, step outside of their comfort zones and take on significant risk to support business ventures and maintain the trust of partners, investors, and employees. When entrepreneurs are able to overcome these obstacles, the confidence and determination is demonstrated to clients and incites loyalty to the brand and trust in the offerings. The ability of an entrepreneur to be the catalyst of business growth and achievement underscores the importance of strong leadership skills that evolve with the company.
How do you maintain leadership performance without burning out?
Delegate
Depending on the size of the company, entrepreneurs may have few teammates working with them to achieve growth and profits. With limited access to resources and manpower, business builders learn to rely on themselves to take care of almost everything in the company to ensure it is done accurately. It is often easier for an entrepreneur, especially in their minds, to take on the majority of the workload to maintain the consistency necessary in building a brand. However, over time there are endless tasks to be done and no time to complete them.
Entrepreneurs must learn how to delegate tasks and functions and pass on their best practices to partners and employees. If business builders continue to manage the majority of the workload, they will likely overstep their capabilities and get burnt out. When leaders push themselves too far, they become tired and make more mistakes. It is better to take the risk in hiring and delegating than waiting until these mistakes occur. Sharing knowledge and trusting qualified employees with designated functions will alleviate the stress on entrepreneurs and help them focus more time and energy on what they do best.
Remember Self Management
Entrepreneurs traditionally poor their heart and souls into their business. This focus and attention paid to the business can detract awareness away from personal well-being. Rather than letting the business continue to dominate all your time and energy, make room for well-deserved “me time” that will help you recharge and come back to the workplace with more energy and confidence – go for a workout, take a walk, meditate.
When wellness efforts take a back seat to work, the physical and mental abilities of an entrepreneur may start to falter. It may seem like working more will only make you more money. But allowing your personal health to suffer as a result can actually lead to poor performance that will create more work for you and the team while also increasing the odds of burn out. Entrepreneurs want to be functioning at the top of their game at all times to tackle challenges effectively and overcome obstacles with limited disruption to operations. To achieve these endpoints, however, entrepreneurs must be healthy to make smart decisions and stay sharp when on the clock.
Consider setting aside a specific amount of time each day that allows you to work on personal wellness such as relaxation, exercise or other activities. Scheduling in this time will make it harder to ignore or put off, and will ensure increased energy and mental acuity during the other hours of the day to boost work performance. It also sets a good example for staff. Sitting at a computer all day or on the phone can often lead to sleep deprivation if you cannot turn off your racing mind at bedtime. Exercise and other activities help distance you from work when it is time to relax, allowing for nerves to calm down and the body to settle. Proper self management is key to success, as someone operating on a handful of hours of sleep or low energy is often a few steps behind partners, staff, competitors or trends.
