I am not the CEO of the business I founded ten years ago. Someone else calls the shots! I have found this being the conversation starter with many entrepreneurs that I am now talking too. Some are in disbelief that it can happen. Others are expressing fear for me and the future of my company. Some are envious and wondering how to do it.
This particular move has definitely captured their attention and it looks like a process and journey I will be sharing a lot this year. I didn’t verbalize it then, but I built this business with the intent that it would be able to run without me. My first business was very administratively taxing and dependent on me. I saw how quickly that burnt me out. Granted, Centonomy has had the benefit of my passion (which wasn’t quite there in the first one) but I did shy away from making myself the hero of the business.
My entire life has taught me the importance of seasons and never assuming that they are here to stay.
I am still a director but I do not run the company. You’ve probably transitioned from jobs because that season of your life was over. In the same way, it is possible to transition from your business or the role you currently play in your business. This is a different way of thinking especially for founders of SME’s. Here are a couple of realizations that helped me;
- What your business needed at the beginning is not what it needs now.
Some people like me thrive on ideas, experiments, challenges or different ways of doing things. Changing things on the go and pushing the envelope when you can. It’s not easy there is an excitement about it. No matter what stage you’re in, every business needs this.
As your business grows, other skills are needed simultaneously. Things like, structures, processes, operations or management of people. When you are starting out, you can get away with being impromptu in these areas but as you grow you can’t. Some entrepreneurs I have met are strong in these areas but others are not and are dying a slow death trying to be that. They would rather be seeing clients or generating ideas not dealing with accounts, performance reviews, operations, and schedules. If you are the latter, join the club and accept it. You don’t have to be doing everything. You might be suffocating the growth of your business. Remove your ego out of the way and accept that there are people who can do your job better than you. Empower them! Your future CEO could be right under your nose but you have never allowed them to leverage their strengths.
- Nature will always win.
You were built a certain way. The way you were built may not be what your company needs as its CEO in this season. However, it doesn’t mean you are irrelevant. Take that same nature and leverage on it. My nature is creative and I am good at communication. I have been writing articles off the top of my head for years now. That’s what I am bringing back to the business and to other areas that this journey may lead me to. The opportunity cost of not doing this is too high both for the business and myself. When you deny nature, you find yourself experiencing way too many days of not wanting to get out of bed in the morning. The most basic tasks taking a lot of effort to complete. No matter what stage of business you are in, constantly observe yourself. What do you do effortlessly? What gives you energy? When are you in flow? You should do more of that and less of the other stuff because that’s probably what you are good at.
- You are less important than you think.
I mean this in a good way. If you have built up people, put in the proper structures and handle your fear. The business should be able to go on. Are there any guarantees about the future? No! However, there is a cost of having things remain the same.
Waceke runs programs on Personal Finance Management and Entrepreneurship . Registration is currently open and ongoing through our website centonomy.com For more information get in touch with her through waceken@centonomy.com /Facebook-Waceke Nduati /Tweet @cekenduati