As an entrepreneur, you can often feel alone. You make the big decisions, take on the responsibility, and so the idea of delegating can seem overwhelming. Its always been you, and what if someone else messes up? But delegating and building up a strong inner circle is vital to your growth as a leader and for the growth of your business.
In this article, we are going to look at building a powerful bench and how to play your bench to win championships.
In rugby, your bench is often filled with powerful, talented players. Some have very specific skills and capabilities, some may be waiting for a chance to show their true worth, but it is undeniable that they are all talented. Players get tired and cannot be on all the time and this is when a coach can look to the bench for the support they needs to fill the gaps.
In life and business, you are often the player on the field. You lead the team, you find the wins, and plan the plays. And while you may be doing a great job, you cannot be everywhere all the time. Sometimes it is time to look to your bench.
Before you can trust your bench you need to fill it up with the right people. How do you select these people and what do you look for?
Every business and leader is different, as is every coach. We will each have a different bench but the bench should compliment your skills and vision. As a leader you need to learn to read people to gauge whether they will make a valuable addition to your bench or if they will simply be bench warmers.
Learn to access peoples personality, their courage, their skills, and their knowledge. And give them opportunities to rise to the occasion to access if they will make it as part of your bench.
Now that you have a bench you need to empower them. Players who sit on the bench for too long without game time will leave for other clubs, so make sure your play your bench.
It can be a hard exercise learning to trust and delegate responsibility to other people. Start small and in situations where they can’t fail. Slowly build up their responsibility and authority as their confidence and your trust grows. It is a process and one must accept that we all fail sometimes, use failures as a learning experience and grow from it.
Empowering your bench will not only help you but also your company. New leaders bring new ideas and methods that could improve the way you do things as a company. It could also force you to step up your game.
Building and empowering your bench is a very rewarding process. A strong bench wins championships, so start building yours today!