Whether you want to leave your 9-5 to do work you really love, start a business from scratch, go full time with your side hustle or hobby, or take your existing business to the next level, there’s one crucial identity shift you must embody in order to achieve the type of long term, sustainable success you’re after.
You MUST step into your CEO power.
Let’s sit with that for a minute.
What does it mean for you to be the CEO of your business instead of the person working inside your business?
Is CEO of your business the first answer you give when people ask you what you do?
When you think of a female CEO, what image comes to your mind? How do you feel initially? Do you believe she has to sacrifice her family or life in order to have what she wants? Or maybe there’s something holding you back because to be a CEO might mean you’ll come across as cold, or masculine or even worse, bitchy…
Your answers to this will hold the key to any mindset block or issue you’re dealing with right now.
Here’s why: You’ll never receive what you don’t believe you are.
As a business coach for heart-centered and impact-driven women, I work with all kinds of incredible women that want to change the world with their work. Over the past decade, I’ve helped healers, creatives, coaches, artists, trainers, and so many more make their passion pay them through online marketing and embodying confident leadership.
Want to know the difference between those who got results quickly and those who struggled to gain traction?
The turning point for all of them began when they stopped viewing their business from the stance of the technician or hobbyist and instead stepped into the role of a powerful CEO, confident and capable of creating the life and business they desired.
All of life is about managing power.
Being the CEO means that you take radical accountability and ownership of your life and business. It means that you choose to view your business as a vehicle that you take care of and drive instead of your baby that you coddle and seek fulfillment from.
Here are 10 other ways to find your CEO power and step into the role of a confident business owner.
1. Know your numbers
It doesn’t matter if you struggled with numbers or math in school. It’s now your job to understand your numbers and know where you’re are at, at all times. As a business owner, having a healthy relationship with your financials is crucial as well as tracking the numbers that actually move the needle forward. What we focus on grows and what gets measured, gets improved.
2. Dictate and plan your schedule
Keep a schedule that’s aligned with your goals while understanding that what you say yes to means you say no to something else. CEOs check their schedule before committing which allows them to be sure they aren’t overextended and frantic. I recommend Google Calendar or iCal, which allows you to communicate with your team, as well as a physical calendar to keep your day in front of you. Always have a clear understanding of what’s coming at you now and next so you can put your energy where it matters most.
3. Create systems and rhythms that serve your ideal life (Be proactive, not reactive)
Building on #2, CEOs create rhythms of health, self-care, and support that allow them to focus on the priority. As CEO you must understand that you can’t do it all. I recommend automating as much as you can. Things as simple as grocery delivery, dry clean pick up or any type of subscriptions that will save you time and energy so you can focus on what matters. Having my paper towels, toilet paper and razors delivered on autopilot via Amazon saves me time, energy and money so I’m not running to the store when I suddenly realize I’m out of things.
4. Prioritize community and checking in to get and give support
CEOs realize that no one is self-made. They choose to reach out to mentors and community when they feel stuck and need support. The worst thing you could do is go into hiding or isolate yourself when you’re struggling. Incorporate masterminds, coaching, networking memberships, and events as a normal part of your business budget. In addition, be the type of person that gives support to others and much as they expect to receive it. Confident CEOs are generous in encouragement and perspective to those in their circles.
5. Focus on solutions instead of problems
It’s easy for us to constantly be focused on what’s not working in our lives and businesses. But what we focus on grows. Look for ways you CAN make it work. Look for resources that will help you get the job done. As Tony Robbins says, “it’s not a lack of resources that’s the problem but a lack of resourcefulness.” Be resourceful and find a way to make it happen.
6. Don’t let distractions and drama get in the way of your dreams and destiny
Entrepreneurship can be dramatic enough without us voluntarily adding to it. Powerful CEOs stay as far away from drama and distractions (even good ones) as possible and develop the awareness to know what resistance and self-sabotage looks like in their lives. Boundaries are your new BFFs when it comes to being the CEO you know you’re capable of being.
7. Develop a laser-like focus
Two of the most important questions you could ever ask are “What do I want?” and “Why do I want it?” Powerful CEOs keep the answers to these two questions in front of them at all times and have developed the skillset of extreme focus. They aren’t pulled in a million different directions and are willing to commit to the process no matter how long it takes. CEOs have learned how to keep their vision top of mind and in front of them at all times.
8. Don’t attach your worth to outcomes
Who you are isn’t defined by any number, result or any outcome. You are not the state of your business. I repeat, YOU ARE NOT THE STATE OF YOUR BUSINESS. So instead of personalizing every perceived failure or mistake, start to view your business as an experiment or game. When you can get neutral about outcomes while also staying committed to your goal, you’ll be able to lead yourself and your team from a healthier place.
9. Honor and celebrate every win, lesson, and progress
Celebrate all things! Do your best to be in the present moment without comparing your sprint to someone else’s marathon. When you honor your journey and how far you’ve come you’ll be able to stand firm despite the entrepreneurial roller coaster. As humans, we must see progress in order to have hope. Keep your hope alive by celebrating everything that IS working. Make a big deal of how far you’ve come!!!
10. Have a growth mindset instead of a fixed one
Dr. Carol Dweck’s popular book, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success“, is my favorite for diving deep into this. Essentially, when we have a growth mindset we believe that there’s nothing we can’t learn how to do. We aren’t fixed into a particular way of being. You give yourself permission to be a beginner. So, need to learn how to use social media better to grow your business? Build a website? Create a contract? Learn what your financials mean? Having a growth mindset means that you can do new things and you can learn hard things. Stepping into your CEO power will demand it of you.
As I say often, entrepreneurship is personal growth with a paycheck. Finding your CEO power is about embracing that process.
Which one of these will you focus on as you step into your power?
