Leader or Victim?

“Leadership is a mindset that shifts from being a victim to creating results. Any one of us can demonstrate leadership in our work and within our lives."

Robin S. Sharma – Author, Speaker & Leadership Expert

As the leader of your business or organization do you ever catch yourself thinking, “This place would fall apart without me.” If so, do you ever think about the ramifications of that statement? Do you feel beat-up by your customers and competition? Do you often feel disappointed in your employees? If any of these resonate I’d like you to consider that you’ve made yourself a victim of, instead of being the leader of, your business.

Signs that you’ve become a victim include being overwhelmed by your to-do list and constantly fighting fires. If you feel like you never have enough time to get everything done and are always being pushed and pulled by circumstances and other people’s needs welcome to the victims club!

I know, this actually sounds quite demeaning doesn’t it. I mean, I’ve got a business to run here and this guy writes an article that tells me I’ve made myself a victim. It’s ok, not the first time I’ve heard that. But if somewhere deep inside that little voice is saying, “We might have accidentally joined this club.” read on for some ideas on what’s actually going on.

Leadership means taking responsibility for your business results. All of them. The victim is constantly blaming circumstances beyond their control for the business’s problems. The competition is brutal or the poor economy is killing us or I can’t find the funding I need are just a few examples of victimhood.

The interesting thing is that being a leader or being a victim is a choice! A victim lives from the ‘outside in’, constantly reacting to whatever fires pop up. They let the day-to-day world decide their agenda and how they use their time. It’s a purely reactionary way of living with the primary focus being on survival. The leader however lives from the ‘inside out’. Their day is spent working on the big goals of their business or organization, never losing sight of their dreams and why they’re in business to begin with.

So how do you go about leaving the victim club and becoming a leader? It’s all about how you manage your time. Time is the one constant. Both the successful business owner and the struggling one are given the same amount. How we use it is up to us and critically important to the success of our business. Following this through, using time wisely comes down to what we give the biggest priority to during our days.

The victim doesn’t prioritize. Victims are constantly hopping from one thing to the next with little thought given to how important the task is to the big picture success of the business. In our Business Partner peer groups we talk a lot about whether someone is, working on their business or working in it. As author Steve Chandler says, “Victimization is surrendering choice to circumstance.”

When challenged on this I often hear, “I know I should be doing a lot of things differently but I just can’t find the time.” Think of it this way; Can’t find the time = Can’t find the will. Time management requires courage and boldness. It means prioritizing the things you should be working on and refusing to be distracted by the things you shouldn’t be.

If you believe you’re not spending enough time working on your business here are some things to consider to free up the time to do it.

* Delegate more – We often feel delegating means we’re no longer in charge and we’ll lose control. Baloney. Delegating the tasks they shouldn’t be working on is one of the things real leaders have perfected.

* Make a daily task list for yourself of the things (no more than three per day) you should be working on. Check each one to make sure it fits the “working on my business” criteria. Then protect your time vigilantly so outside distractions don’t drag you back “in” your business.

* Hire capable people. If you’re going to free yourself to spend time on the things you need to, you’ll need good people to delegate to. I know the labor market is tight right now and finding the right person is tough. How’s that for one of the things you should be spending time “working on” your business? Figure out ways to attract the kind of employees you want. Be creative. It will be time well spent as you’ll be able to give them more and more responsibility.

* Hold others accountable. Once you’ve delegated tasks to others, don’t let them pile them back on your desk. Mentoring them to make solid decisions is another great example of “working on” your business. Constantly deciding for them drags you back into your business.

You have a choice. If you let the outside world control you and your schedule, don’t be surprised when you get home at night feeling exhausted and fatigued. You feel like you worked really hard all day but don’t feel like you accomplished much.

Or you can spend your time on high-return activities following your passions and dreams. Once you become the leader of your business or organization rather than the victim of it you create something special. You’re the person who created it! It wasn’t due to anything external or luck. You’ll be energized and so will the people around you. Your customers, employees, family and friends will notice. People want to be around and help people who are enthusiastic.

Being a victim or being a leader is simply a matter of choice.