How many small business owners think like leaders?

I don’t mean in the ego driven, label sense. But, rather, why is a leader a leader; and why do all great businesses need the work of leadership to flourish and grow?

Small (business) seems to limit the possibility of the business. And it’s not just a question of semantics. Leadership appears out there … and the preserve of large companies.

Does it matter.

Yes, critically.

Leaders are leaders precisely because they lead. Their job is to go to work on the business and not disappear in the work of the business. They look at the business how it should be, rather than how it is and if there is a difference they work tirelessly to narrow the gap.

My challenge to all small business owners is to step back from the abyss of doing the work and give yourself the room to focus on doing the right things by concentrating on one or two things that if done brilliantly will make the biggest difference to the business (a nod to the late Peter Drucker of course).

You may think this complete fancy – “if I don’t do the work who else will?” – but if you don’t stop and focus for more than a few hours on the work of leadership, the tyranny of the work will forever enslave you to working as a pseudo employee.