Become Your Own CEO

Business owners sometimes feel like the business owns them. Sole Proprietors, self-employed sales professionals and consultants who are frustrated by the challenges of business can feel as if they just own a job. Ambitious employees may feel they aren’t making the upward progress they desire or getting the recognition they deserve.

All have something in common, and that is the need to take charge of their life and career. A great way to change one’s perspective is to take on the role of CEO for your own life.

A significant turning point in my professional life came when I changed my thinking from being a self-employed one-person shop to that of running a business – being a CEO. That state of mind would have been beneficial years before when I was a casualty of restructuring or downsizing by my employers – three times! But I later realized at a trying time that I approached my work as if I just owned a job.

Becoming your own CEO might seem unnecessary to some, but it is one that will pay dividends for your career. The idea is to take control and responsibility of your own life just as the CEO of an organization is responsible for leading a company. Business owners and entrepreneurs can identify with this concept more easily, but it applies to anyone who has ambitions beyond their current position or level of success.

In the Forbes 101 article What Is a Chief Executive Officer? CEO Role Explained (June 4, 2024), Roger Dooley writes, “A CEO leads a company, making sure all parts of the business work well together and follow a clear plan. CEOs are responsible for shaping the company's goals and making sure these goals are met. CEOs also help define the company's values and how the firm interacts with customers, partners, and the public. Additionally, they communicate regularly with the company's board of directors to report on progress and get guidance.”

Let’s look at how those roles play out for an individual’s career. Having a clear purpose and vision for your life helps in making career plans because they will guide the actions you take and the goals you establish. The direction of your life may take a short detour, but the vision and goals will get you back on track faster. Lacking a clear vision and career path can lead to frustration, anxiety and poor career choices when difficulties arise, as they inevitably will.

An important part of making plans and establishing goals is how to achieve the desired growth for the organization, and that applies to individuals as well. Personal and professional growth is imperative if anyone wants increased success and upward progress. In fact, a primary reason you can find yourself stuck is because you have stopped growing.

Many people have big dreams that they stop pursuing when obstacles appear, but accomplishing a big dream takes work. They don’t come easy. If you have a big dream, the person you are today will not accomplish tomorrow’s vision. You must continually get better, make better choices, build better habits, and become the kind of person who will attract the kinds of people around you needed to achieve your dream.

As in an organization, your goals and actions must be congruent with your values, so taking the time to define your values and priorities will help bring clarity to your decisions. Defining what is most important can be empowering because it will help to stay focused and motivated, and sharing your values and vision will help to attract the kind of employees, clients and customers you desire.

Finally, tracking progress like a CEO is a necessity for maintaining focus and accomplishing goals. When goals are not being met it can be tempting to back off the goals and vision you have. Having accountability with other employees, advisors, coaches or a personal board of directors can be helpful in gaining input and guidance from someone who knows you and your business well.

Challenges in business are inevitable. They are the times when a firm grip on your business is needed, just like any CEO confronted with difficulties in building a business. 

My mission is to help business leaders and entrepreneurs chart a clear course and stay on track despite the obstacles that appear. To help them unlock their potential and live life in a more meaningful way.

Contact me for a complimentary call to see if I can be of service to you.

https://calendly.com/tad-douglas-llc



Tad Douglas

Leadership and Executive Coaching

www.taddouglas.com

tad@taddouglas.com

502-553-8119