You don’t have to think very hard to find examples of careers that mentor newbies with experienced practitioners. Most professions along with apprenticeship trades know the model is effective, not only at passing along knowledge, skills, professional judgment, but also for building confidence and having a safe “sounding board” in a peer that’s walked a mile in your shoes.
As business owners, we often follow the path of the lone wolf, fighting off the predators that threaten our livelihood – competition, cash flow woes, bad contracts, and changes in the political and economic environments we operate in. Our friends don’t “get it”. Our loved ones “don’t get it”. Our friends and family feel slighted and annoyed that we aren’t spending enough time with them. Even with a family that’s cheering you on, they often don’t have the knowledge or skill to REALLY help!
You might be fighting the good fight to become one of the 4% of businesses that succeed beyond 5 years. If you have already planted that flag, it’s time to regroup: identify the next leadership mindset you need to build and lead a team.
Who is your wingman? Who settles in behind you as you lead the formation? Who asks you the tough questions and helps you realize your vision? Who can give you tools so you can focus on making impactful business decisions? Who is your sounding board that encourages you to search for better solutions – not settle for “good enough”? Who challenges you to stretch yourself and come up with different solutions because being better just isn’t good enough. Who helps you BE accountable?
Business owners just like you flourish with a wingman. You’ll make more impactful business decisions. You’ll have business tools to implement and help to shorten the learning curve, getting the benefits sooner. You’ll understand your financials and know what numbers matter most in your business. You’ll set targets to achieve. You’ll abandon business practices that are not working for you. You’ll examine your service or product offerings. You’ll implement more efficient routines saving you valuable time and money along the way. You’ll have better quality control, forget less and wow your customers more.