CEO Supermen
Are you a CEO? Do you think that you're Superman?
Are you?
I've heard Dave Kurlan speak to CEO groups several times. He frequently describes the duties of a sales manager and the time that it takes to do it effectively. Recruiting, coaching, mentoring, motivating and holding salespeople accountable. Then talking directly to the CEO's in the audience, says, "So, I've just described a 60 hour a week job." Then he points out that if a CEO doesn't have a sales manager, the CEO is the de facto sales manager. Which means that the CEO has TWO 60 hour a week jobs.
If you want to be a CEO, what job are you doing that you should not be doing?
Are you trying to sell? be a sales manager? an operations manager? the HR manager? fix your website? be the receptionist? office manager? mail clerk? payroll clerk? Do you make collection calls? keep the books? yada, yada, yada?
or are you doing the job of CEO and have other people doing what they're good at?
Are you a crappy CEO or are you doing the other job(s) crappily?
I'm not talking to the business owners that want to stay small. If you're the owner and you sell, deliver, bill and you're happy...Great!
If you're the owner and you're looking to grow your company, what job are you doing that someone else should be doing because they could do it better? faster? cheaper?
Rick this is a common problem with many CEOs. I was one of them and now I meet and work with folks like that all the time. What I could have used was some outside perspective from a trusted advisor. Someone who had been there, done that and could help me keep from making those common mistakes. I would urge those of your readers who fall into this trap to develop a relationship with another professional that can bring that perspective to the table. We're all in this together. Better business, richer life.
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Sometimes when I look at superman I think about something my daughter said several years ago - Superman, isn't that just the nerdy guy Clarke Kent in a funny suit?
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