Ever since January, I’ve been seeing post after post about how the most successful people (read: leaders and CEO’s) get up very early in the morning. As if the only way to be a successful CEO, you have to be up at the crack of dawn to exercise or begin working or what have you. It might be true for small business owners and executives…and it might not.

The last straw

Margaret Heffernan’ s post was the last straw. Her  point was that leaders get up early because they are excited about what they do. They are fully engaged and not lazy. They use the early hours to exercise, think, plan or just enjoy some quiet time before their day starts. Now, you might wonder why I would ever want to rant about that?!

My rant is really simple…there isn’t one way to be successful. The posts that say that getting up early make it sound like that is the only way to build a successful company and career. However, the way you schedule your day may not even be indicative of laziness or lack of engagement.

Self-care is an essential piece of leading a small business

It is well documented that sleep deprivation is not just a few hours lost. Immediate effects include poor memory, trouble concentrating, appetite disturbance (higher tendencies to eat too much) and difficulty tolerating even garden-variety stress. Continued sleep deprivation is correlated to depression and mood disorders, attention deficit disorder, drug and/or alcohol abuse, increased likelihood of high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke plus cognitive impairment. Sleep deprivation and ignoring other parts of self-care can lead to burn out and/ or feeling trapped or resentful of your business. Not exactly the best recipe for building a sustainable business.

Use caution when reading advice

Yes, even my blog.

Normally I’m a big fan of Margaret Heffernan but I do wonder about her supposition that a leader might be lazy or disengaged. As small business owners, we have to be careful about what we read and how general the application might be. Some of us chose to start our business to maximize the quality of our lives. It does seem strange when you are working long days or worrying about finances that this is a better quality of life. On the other hand, control over our income, time and autonomy is in our hands most of the time. Some of us are parents, volunteers in our communities or simply want to create another way to do business and be successful. While we may want to be develop ourselves so we are better leaders and managers, it is important to remember that different things work for different people.

Working mega-hours doesn’t make you successful by itself

All those posts that got me riled up aren’t really about who gets up early or stays up late. It’s about what we do with that time. There are ways our time gets used up that make a work day seem far too short. Between making sure we engage with social media, do things that increase our visibility, network, do the work our clients hire us for and so much more, productivity can get away from us without a plan.

Some suggestions to keep yourself healthy:

• Even experts don’t have the answers that will fit you 100% of the time- We need inspiration, new ideas, fresh perspectives and education. However, notice how you feel about the advice you are reading. If it feels like something  you would never do, trust yourself.
• Remember you have physical limitations – No matter how much you love what you do, your body will let you know when it has had enough. Make an effort to eat well, sleep and take time away from the office.
• Create a schedule that suits you – If you are an early riser, a late night person or something in between, make the time work for you. Use the Pomodoro method for specific tasks and schedule specific days for overall activities.

Do you need to get up early?

Only you can really answer that. Use the early morning if it provides you with time to think, get moving or do a little work before the rush of the day. Conversely, if working at night allows you that necessary time for concentration, use that. When you read blog posts that tell you that the only way you are a “real” leader is if you do X, ask yourself if this is true for you. If you are not sure, try an experiment with the recommendations you read about.

There are many ways to be successful…design your own!

Four words that strike fear and make an otherwise capable professional unable to make sense.

What do you want?

When I ask this in a coaching session, there usually a release of breath and a nervous laugh. Then the avoidant answers come out. Formerly articulate people stop putting two sentences together. I have noticed that it isn’t so much that we don’t know what we want (yes, I’ve been struck dumb with this question too). We know all too well. We are dreamers who see ourselves making that dream salary, gaining recognition as a “go-to” person, serving our customers with excellence and living that satisfying life we crave.

Negative messages and negative experiences Click here to read more »

I saw an interesting tweet from Dan Rockwell (@LeadershipFreak on Twitter) yesterday.

“Find harmony within yourself before looking for alignment with others.”

It caught my attention and I thought, hmm…wouldn’t that mean you might spend not so much time with people? So I tweeted back, ” I saw your tip about finding harmony. Wouldn’t that be lifelong quest? Not sure can’t happen in tandem”

Most people spend a good portion or all of their lives seeking to understand themselves better. Leadership is a relational journey. It can be a journey to get to a position where you are in a one-up position over others. That may not be the most pro-social relationship but it does exist. For others, the key is being compassionate and competent in having the difficult conversations.

Great leadership comes from developing one’s maturity. Things like developing patience and knowing that one’s outlook and mood can encourage or limit the productivity and morale of the staff. But the more I think about it, the more it seems that time and experience season us as leaders. We see our foibles and warts when we bounce off other people. But it isn’t necessarily a negative. Sure, in the moment, it might be an unpleasant lesson about ourselves. But we wouldn’t see things so clearly without people stopping us in our tracks.

Managing conflict may be the greatest test of how leaders manage relationships. Click here to read more »

A coaching session with a client and a post on Forbes.com about span of control set a theme for me last week. How much do small business owners have real control and how to manage the limitations?

The traditional definition of span of control is “the number of people who report to one manager in a hierarchy. The more people under the control of one manager – the wider the span of control. Less means a narrower span of control.”

Important distinction for small business owners

In my work with small business owners who are growing their business, the question of hiring and managing employees comes up over and over. There is some anxiety about increasing one’s span of control too fast but more questions arise around trusting employees to move the business forward. It’s great to see one’s hard work come to fruition when you add new hires or create an executive team out of current employees.

CEO mindset, control and influence Click here to read more »

Every now and then, a children’s story catches  my attention in an unexpected way. Recently I was reading Aesop’s The Sun and the Wind .

The Sun and the Wind were arguing about which one of them was stronger. They could not come to any agreement. When they saw traveller on the road, the Wind said, “this is how we can decide. The first one of us who can make that traveller remove his cloak is the strongest. The Sun answered the challenge, “That is an excellent idea! You may go first.” The Wind laughed and said, “You go behind that cloud while I show you how it’s done. Watch and learn.”

After the Sun went behind  a cloud, the Wind began to blow and blow. However, no matter how hard the Wind  blew, the traveller would not remove his cloak. The traveller just pulled his cloak closer around him and trudging down the road. Finally, the Wind gave up and stopped blowing.

The Sun came out from behind the cloud and began to shine. Eventually the traveller became so warm, he took his cloak off and carried it on his arm.

During times of change, are you the Wind or the Sun? Click here to read more »

As I’m about to embark on a vacation of my own, I noticed that I had let my business get to me. There is stuff to announce on my usual social media sites, information to process about upcoming programs, meetings to schedule and confirm…Yes, there is always something to do. A phone call, a networking event, checks to sign, meetings to facilitate…the list goes on and on.

When you can’t shut it off, it’s time to get away Click here to read more »

After watching the Summer Olympics, it’s tempting to model the single-minded dedication and pursuit of being the best. Let me say this first, I love the Olympics! It’s extraordinary to see people who have dedicated themselves for a sporting event that only happens every 4 years. Their whole lives -diet, exercise, psychological training, competitions, downtime – are dedicated to improving their performance. Witnessing this performance is awe inspiring! And yet…this is a bad model for small business owners. Click here to read more »

 It’s not unusual for a small business owner to be talented and intuitive enough to steer their businesses through early growth. In fact, you want that foundation! Then, one day, there is an  inspiration to go for a bigger push. Sometimes this inspiration is like a whack on the head…your biggest client leaves or you’ve hit some other financial wall. Other times it is illumination…your product or service feeds a need in your market or the business is attracting attention and interest from your uber-ideal customers.

What are you trying to accomplish?

Stephen Covey ( who passed away on July 16, 2012) recommended seven habits  and one of these is “Begin with the end in mind”. This is often the starting point when we consider our wishes, hopes and dreams. Sometimes we articulate them to our business partners or friends but often business owners keep them quiet. Like the business owner I was speaking with last week who said he wanted to increase his revenues by 50%, it’s easy to come up with huge goals. It’s harder to determine why they are the best ones for both your personal growth and the growth of your organization.

Where’s the gap between your big goals and you? Click here to read more »

“Why should I hire you?” I get that question a lot. And frankly, I welcome it!

Since I work with established business owners, they want to know how coaching generates results they can see and feel. I can relate as a business owner. I don’t have time or money to waste either.

There are huge expectations for small business owners and most are ready to take on the challenges in front of them. However, it is common to want a place to express your dreams, aspiration, doubts and weaknesses. You want to maintain your authority and still make sure you have a solid support system that keeps you fresh and grounded.

What is coaching? Click here to read more »

*Mary, a small business owner, is experiencing some difficulty fitting into her changing role in her small business. Over the years, she has been largely responsible for the actual work of her business. She often kept her strategic plan in her head and followed her gut instinct when opportunities came along. And it worked. The business has grown and is stable. Recently, she has been noticing a restless feeling; as if it is time to do something new. Mary is quite clear that she has no intention of closing her current business. She envisions her current business becoming so much more. Mary recognizes that the business is ready for growth and knows she wants the role of  leader; even calling herself CEO. She feels eager and apprehensive about making the necessary decisions that will move her business forward.

What’s behind her uncertainty? Click here to read more »