Learning to let go as a business leader

Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio: from Pexels

If you’re a business leader, it can be easy to try and do everything yourself. You want to be in control, you want to know everything that’s going on, and you want to have the opportunity to double check everything before it goes live. And when you’re a new business leader, trying to run all of these areas can wear you down and turn you off of business for life! It’s why most business leaders need to learn to let go, and that’s what this post is here to help with.

Allow your employees to take initiative
Your employees deserve a chance to shine, don’t you think? So why not take a step back and allow them to take some initiative and solve a problem or two without your input? Let their natural skills and talents win through; it’s one of the best ways to spot the knowledge gaps in your company, as well as see who’s deserving of a promotion and all its benefits. 

Focus on your work/ life balance
Once you’ve got a bit of free time on your side, you can start to focus on what you need to do outside of work. You can approach that work/life balance in a healthier way; that’s crucial to living a long and happy life, and no longer will you need to dedicate so much of yourself to your business. You’ve built it to a place where it can function without you, which is always a good sign for longevity, and you should try to embrace that for the future. 

Find use in outsourcing
Outsourcing your tasks to companies and professional freelancers who know what they’re doing is a great way to conquer your seeming inability to delegate things out. You get a little taste of just how much good work can come your way even when you’re not in control, and you get some free time to focus your attention elsewhere. All in all it’s a pretty good cocktail! So call in some commercial cleaning services, sign a contract with an accountant to see to the books once a month, and regularly comb through portfolios to find the next great talent to work for you.

Become a mentor
If you’ve got good experience in running a business, why not turn your hand to becoming a mentor? You’ve got all the right employees in the right places, you know how to spot a good outsourcing contact, and you understand what it takes to build a company, right down to the tiny details. And that’s invaluable information that other would-be business leaders would love to have. You can make your own course, write a book, or even become a consultant for hire - it's a great way to take your name and brand to the next profitable level! 

Letting go is necessary as a business leader; you’ve got a lot on your plate, and you can’t juggle it all. It’s a strength to be able to delegate!