Have you ever ridden a unicycle? I tried one as a kid, and remember how wobbly that first ride was. The cycle had one wheel, one rider, no handlebars for support. All it took to navigate it was a strong set of legs and a good sense of balance. I remember how exhilarating it was to stay upright, and the humility when I realized there was no one but myself to blame when I fell.
Some equate business ownership to walking a tight line or being on a unicycle. “It’s lonely at the top,” one business owner told me. And yes, keeping everything in balance, leading, managing, hiring, firing, tracking is a lot to juggle. But being alone is not one of the rules of business or leadership. Being on top of things, aware of trends, educated, and involved is. Getting help is an admirable trait, not a fault.
Business is a very unique game. Imagine making the decision to go into sports without knowing anything about the game.
Like tennis.
If you know nothing of the sport, then court is a place you go to pay tickets, and a racquet is what the kids were making when you were trying to get to sleep. And “Love alll?” Isn’t that a common phrase from the 60s?
Sports teams have coaches. Business owners have business coaches. Why? Because, like sports, business is a game – a very strategic game with very specific rules, processes, and systems. The playing field might be different than a tennis court, football field, baseball diamond, bowling alley, but there are specific things found in both sports and business that are similar and imperative. These include:
* Rules. In sports, the rules are the specific guidelines that must be adhered to. In business, these are the policies, systems, and regulations you put into place that are not to be broken.
