business

Entrepreneurs Can't Get Out Of Their Own Way

Martin Cooney

Dec 13, 2010 — 3 min read

Entrepreneurs Can’t Get Out Of Their Own Way

I hinted back in a recent blog post called ‘Communication with Chicks’ about wealth profiles.

The way you think and engage is pivotal to your success across a wide number of business and personal areas.

This is increasingly more important for entrepreneurs than ever before. I was checking out a LinkedIn Group ‘I am an Entrepreneur’ that I’m a member of, where one of the group topics was around what’s the first thing or most important aspect of starting your business if you’re deadly serious in getting it off the ground.

Hence this post.

Start-Ups & Entrepreneurs

Having been involved in a number of start-ups myself, the real awakening for all the Creator types is not what a wonderfully powerful and world-changing product they have – they usually end up saying:

Crap! I haven’t the faintest idea of what I’m doing, how to create the team around me to support me and get this product to market to make the world a better place and make loads of revenue along the way!!!

Understanding Yourself

Without really (and I mean really!!!) understanding your own shortcoming in the business and team building world, your fantastic invention or product opportunity is sunk before you begin. It’s around understanding that you need people who are passionate about you and your journey, letting go of your ego to control everything, giving up part of your stake in the business so others are also rewarded, and having a constant and persistent vision of where you’re going with your team.

That’s it in a nutshell.

As I also posted about in ‘Dangers on Social Media Business Marketing’, your business needs rock-solid foundational relationships. If you’re the type of startup owner who is constantly thinking of more and more product ideas, chances are you’re one of those Creator profile types. That’s such a wonderful gift. The unfortunate part of that is you’re unlikely to also be good and establishing long-term relationships. Again, this is where your team members come in, providing you haven’t already surrounded yourself with other Creators.

I, myself am a Supporter profile – team and relationship ninjas and we totally get the importance and value that professional and personal interaction brings.

As in a recent project I was involved with, the Creator type (or business owner) often sees a Supporter’s tenacity for establishing powerful human connections as threatening to the Creator’s hold over the business and business direction.

This really falls into the realm of ‘You don’t know what you don’t know and this can sometimes be the curtain-call for the business. The owner simply can’t get out of their own way so the business can flourish and propel to greater heights, using the help of the very people positioned to do the task.

Example Time

I was with WebCentral for 9 years. It was a startup ISP operating out of a garage. The 3 owners had distinctly different and complementary profiles and let each other get on with their passion and use their skill-sets. They sold out as a multi-million dollar business and WebCentral continues to be Australia’s largest web-hosting business.

Other start-ups I’ve been involved with saw the business owners retain final decisions and control of everything until it was far too late for anyone to help them. Their shortsightedness on teamwork, vision, relationships, and communication saw their potential crumble into nothingness.