| Your Inner CEO
 Learn How to Become the CEO of Your Life
by Tony Arnold, COO JeffBurrows.com
Why do our Clients come to us? They come to us because they are tired, overworked, or have lost the joy in owning their business. Every day they promise those around them they are the best of the best. They speak with prospects, clients, and others to demonstrate their competence in their product or service. As they go about the work of their business, they react to what comes at them, continually breaking, changing or adjusting their schedule to meet the demands of the business. They're not sure why, but they just wish a day, any day, could go as planned.
Am I describing some of what you are feeling? What if you could really have one day, just one, where you could honor your own schedule? What would you feel like? How would your employees, clients, family or friends react? Could it be possible? Could you really think about your own life?
Principle 8: Become an Entrepreneur- Leave Behind the Manager, Technician and Inventor in You
Some business owners stumbled into their business, some planned it, and some followed a circuitous route that couldn't possibly be duplicated. Many entered the business as the technician, the doer, the problem solver. You use processes, probabilities, education and your wits to succeed where many have failed. You know the technical nature of your product or service; you do it everyday, over and over again. You get up every morning, go to the office, and you think you know exactly what the day will look like. You will answer the same question and give the same direction to your employees or co-workers. You will do the same thing as yesterday, but now it's today. You wish that someone would listen so you wouldn't have to say the same thing over and over again. Gotta do it again, say it again, do it again, say it again. Why don't they get it?
Some of you entered the business as the manager. You plan, you quantify, and you implement it with and through others. You know how to keep the office running, how to pick the next consultant, how to juggle more clients, more deals and more responsibility. But you know there's a better way to do this, if only those around you could do it like you do it. You've told them a hundred times. With every new hire, you tell them how not to make a mistake: "We have our reputation! If you have any questions, just ask me." In the meantime, you're off to the next crisis: busy, busy, busy.
Some of you entered the business as an entrepreneur. You know how to do it. You know the technical work. You know how to manage, certainly better than the manager you worked for! But you want it to be different. You have this wonderful idea, an idea that will bring true value, honor and integrity to you, your industry, your clients and your employees. And, you will make a whole lot of money! You're an innovator. Your idea is different. It will make a difference. How do I get others to see it, to feel it, to breathe it? They say they understand what I want, but it's not happening. How do I motivate and guide them to embrace and live my vision, my dream?
Is this familiar to you? It should be, because there is an entrepreneur, manager, and technician in all of us. We need all three to have a successful business. However, since a business reflects the owner, your business operates as you operate. Are you truly willing to become more of an entrepreneur?
Principle 3: Learn how to Create a business that Serves Your Life
The starting point for building a business that works begins with why you do what you do. Whatever you do, how you do it, and why you do it should be focused on providing what you truly want in life. The reason to create a business, to build a business, or to work on or in a business is to give you more life, more happiness, more profound appreciation for what you do. The challenge facing most business owners is the understanding of what they want for their life. It's not the cars, the money, or the house. The source of your passion and your vitality is what we call Life Purpose. It gives you clarity and purpose. It is your guiding light. It can be elusive, yet we all have a higher desire to be that special person. We just need to be willing to spend the structured time thinking about it in order to identify it. Do you know your Life Purpose?
Once you understand your Life Purpose, you can begin the process of building a business that works; one that works for you, one that will give you what you want in your life. You begin by creating a Strategic Objective (SO) for your enterprise. Your SO should be so clear and precise that any question one may have about the business can be answered by reading it. The SO is the source of bringing balance to you, the owner. The business is designed and built to give you what you want- because it's your life we're talking about.
Once this initial work is completed, the rest is implementation with a hearty dose of accountability!
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