Something I’ve noticed over the years that holds business owners back is their fight or flight mode. Today’s economy more than ever, people have been experiencing a lot of downturn, and that’s when this way of thinking starts to surface. They panic and start cutting costs and employees and claim “crisis mode” is upon them. But what I’ve come to learn is the cause of all the feelings of “crisis” is usually the business owner or person in charge themselves. They become the bottleneck to their own business.
When we run our business in a state of panic and haste, there is no good that can come from that. External problems will always be there and claiming that those external sources are holding you back, is actually what’s holding you back. We can’t control the adversity that is thrown our way, but what we can absolutely control is how we handle ourselves in tough situations.
I’ve noticed four things about leaders in business that tell me that they are bottlenecking:
- They try and counteract the feeling of losing control with trying to have complete control over everything. They feel they must do everything themselves and what that ends up creating is a less than optimal work environment and a burnt-out leader. More harm than good usually ends up stemming from this.
- Fear. Fight or flight mode is initiated and all of the worst of the worst thoughts come running through the mind. They worry that what they’re doing won’t work out, that the business is doomed to fail and they’ll never come back from it. A lot of negative thoughts which are bound to produce negative results.
- Comparing. What do many of us do when we feel we have nowhere else to turn? Turn to your neighbor and compare yourself to them. People will look at another’s business model and how they are running things and adopt the same practices, but all that makes you now is a commodity. There is nothing that sets you apart from the rest because you are jusy copying what the next guy is doing.
- OCD. So they claim. But whenever I hear people say “Oh, it’s just my OCD kicking in and that’s why I feel we can’t do it this way”, all I hear is more fear. Fear to try something new and stop living in old ways that clearly weren’t working.
All of these things tie together and what you get is a business owner who is bottlenecking and, quite frankly, sabotaging their own business. New business becomes harder and harder to come by, and the lifelong customers you are used to seeing come by less and less. People can sense energies and whether it’s your staff or your customers, they can tell when things just aren’t right.
We all want to believe that we are the best thing for our business and we know all when it comes to decision-making, but when adversity strikes and we want to function in fear and panic and crisis, that is nothing but our own selves not wanting to be brave and take responsibility for our business and get it back on track.
So, what can you do to combat the self-destruction of your business? Be okay with going with your gut. You’ve built the business up before, you can do it again. Trust and believe in yourself that you have what it takes to be resilient no matter what. Think about your business and what it stands for and what it’s values are. If something doesn’t line up with these, it probably isn’t the right decision to make. Be willing to bet on yourself that even though you might not have all of the answers, you’ll make the right choice for your business in the end. Stop thinking about how others would do it and stop waiting for someone to come to your rescue. You and only you can save your business from turmoil and build it into the vision you’ve created.
Link mentioned in this episode: https://theresacantley.com/revenue
If you enjoyed this episode and in some way it inspired you to start taking action, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest take away. Send me a DM on Instagram @theresacantley and let me know what your favorite part was.
I would also love if you subscribed to the podcast and left a review at https://theresacantley.com/itunes
If there is a topic you would love me to talk about or a question you may have send it to us at theresa@theresacantley.com and we’ll feature it on one of our future episodes.
Don’t forget to take advantage of my FREE download, 10 Tips Towards Massive Growth, to learn how to jump-start your business to get back on it’s track towards success.
To download a transcription of this episode click here.
Schedule a call with me – Click Here!
Connect with me on Instagram & Facebook!
Episode 86 – Don’t Get Stuck in the “Build It and They Will Come” Mindset
Episode 85 – Creating a Vision for Your Business Not Based on Current Circumstances
