Leon Mundey’s Post

Business owners, tell me: When it’s time to sell your business, where does the value from? Maybe you’ve built a great business and you wanted to retire by a certain age, or maybe that’s years away but it’s always been the goal. You want a good price, but where does the value come from? What makes it easy to sell? I’ve worked with hundreds of business owners over the years. When it comes to what makes a business saleable, the biggest difference between Anna who’s grown her business fivefold and Bob who’s still staggering, it’s not something about Anna or Bob- it’s the people reporting to them. The bridge across that gap is building your management team so they can run the business better than you. But how can you do that? Here’s one of the most common problems I observe: I see operational managers who are great at the technical aspects of their job, but they struggle with people - and that’s where an owner or senior management spends a lot of their time doing their ops manager’s roles. The first step to creating a more valuable, saleable business is to stop doing others’ jobs. Business owners and senior leaders need to stop solving managers’ problems. Managers need to stop doing their team’s job for them. When we asked one particular senior leadership team them what they most wanted from their managers, one said ‘i just want them to think!’ And they all agreed. Create space to grow your people and you create space for your profit and the value of your business to grow

Are you the bottleneck in your business? One critical issue I see frequently with founders struggling to scale is the difficulty in letting go of control. It’s a common trap that can stifle your company’s potential to grow. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐟𝐮𝐥. In the early days, it makes sense to oversee all aspects of your business. However, as your company expands, micromanaging can actually hinder progress. When every decision hinges on your approval, and every task requires your input, you risk becoming the very bottleneck that limits your business. 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤: • 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐲. If your team can't make decisions without you, your influence might be more restrictive than beneficial. • 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. When all ideas must be approved by you, it discourages your team from being proactive and creative. • 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡.. If your business growth has plateaued, it’s worth considering whether your need for control is a contributing factor. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐬: So, how can you start to loosen your grip and empower your business to thrive? • 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦. Begin by delegating low-risk tasks and gradually increase their responsibility based on successes. Publicly recognise these achievements to build confidence and trust. • 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬. Set up systems that ensure tasks meet your standards without your direct involvement in every step. • 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭. Invest in your team’s development with training and workshops to foster a culture of trust and respect. • 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭. Allow yourself to step back from day-to-day operations to focus on broader business opportunities. As a business leader, your goal is to guide your team to success, not to control every detail. Transitioning from a doer to a strategic thinker enhances your effectiveness and promotes a healthier, more adaptive business environment. Are you ready to let go a little to grow a lot? Consider one area you can begin delegating this week and observe the impact. Share your experiences in the comments below - I’m eager to hear about your journey. Thanks for reading 🙏 • Interested in scaling your business? 👉 bit.ly/3vwXdr3 • Follow James Longley for more content like this • Found this post helpful? Repost ♻️ and pass it forward 

Attributes of Business Owners:   ·     Aspirational: 1.    Mis-Hires, gets easily influenced 2.    Fires people but gets it done from his employees 3.    Hard Working 4.    Does not chase numbers 5.    Easy in meetings 6.    Takes care of employees 7.    Easily accessible 8.    Culture driven, tries to retain people 9.    Makes impulsive decisions 10. Micromanages   ·     Freestyle: 1.    Mis-Hires, no ability to judge 2.    No culture driven 3.    Easily accessible 4.    Does not chase numbers 5.    Easy in meetings 6.    Never Fires 7.    Makes impulsive decisions 8.    Trusts and empowers his team but cannot assess their limitations and capabilities 9.    Seems to have a great vision but lacks execution 10. Does business only in a team   ·     Cunning: 1.    Mis-Hires 2.    Chases numbers 3.    Micromanages 4.    No culture driven 5.    Difficult in meetings 6.    Fires people abruptly 7.    Makes impulsive decisions without any consultations 8.    Does not trust people, loses best people and does not care 9.    Always finds reasons to mistrust and mishandle and create chaos 10. Gets success in some ventures as such leader is good in chasing numbers   ·     Carefree: 1.    Mis-Hires but tries to get best fit 2.    Delusional 3.    Seems to have a great vision but lacks execution 4.    Trusts and empowers his team but cannot assess their limitations and capabilities 5.    No culture driven 6.    Does not feel importance of meetings 7.    Makes impulsive decisions without any consultations 8.    Does not get successful as such leader lacks framework 9.    Has no idea how to chase numbers 10. Hard working

As a COO, my job isn’t to jump in and put out fires every day. It’s to create a system that prevents the fires in the first place. Too many leaders thrive on chaos. They wear the fact that they’re “always busy” as a badge of honor. But in reality, that constant state of firefighting is a signal that something’s broken. It’s easy to get caught in the whirlwind of daily issues, but here’s the thing—growth should not feel like chaos. When I step into a business, my first task is to understand why things feel out of control. Nine times out of ten, it’s because the right systems aren’t in place. A business without structure is like a machine with loose bolts—it’s only a matter of time before things fall apart. Here’s what I’ve found: Your business should operate like a well-oiled machine, where each cog knows its role and functions seamlessly within the larger system. Growth should feel like scaling something that works, not chasing your tail every day. 1.) 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞: A system isn’t just about efficiency today—it’s about having a structure that grows with you tomorrow. If you don’t have a scalable foundation, you’ll only scale your problems. 2.) 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞: As the business owner or CEO, you shouldn’t be the only one with your hand in everything. Build trust in your team, give them the tools to succeed, and step back. 3.) 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬: If you’re constantly firefighting, you’re focused on the wrong KPIs. Identify the key metrics that show your systems are working, not just that things are moving. Growth shouldn’t feel like a sprint to extinguish one fire after another. It should feel like scaling a well-oiled machine where every piece moves in sync. What systems have you built to let your business grow without losing control?

If you own a business, you likely started out doing everything yourself. So, it can feel unnatural and difficult to let go of responsibilities as you start adding team members. However, if you want to take your business to the next level, you’ll need to have someone whose skills complement your own. That’s why a company needs a Visionary (aka CEO) and an Integrator (aka president) to succeed: https://lnkd.in/ddbY-3wc

Business owners spend a lot of money solving the wrong problems. A client called me to help drive momentum because their company had hit a growth plateau. Two days later, I realized that the issue wasn’t business strategy at all. Middle and lower management said a familiar phrase: “I feel disrespected and undervalued.” I told upper management, "You're the issue. I can give you strategies to grow the business. But, it's a waste of money; you won't see big growth until the culture changes." It was an audacious move; I risked getting fired. Instead, they said, "How do we fix it?" I held a workshop with the executives. We discussed ways to improve communication and change the company culture. Then I came up with a framework to help upper management listen better. I told them not to discuss but to listen, take notes, and think. They should think about how to nurture their own curiosity. Business metrics, can not be the sole focus of leadership. Ways to spark curiosity are: 1. Leave their offices and engage with middle-level management. 2. Speak with people in different departments to get a whole view. Talking across functions is key to growth. It creates an environment based on cooperation, not competition. 3. Break your routine. Most people take the same elevator to the office. They walk past the same desks and talk to the same people. This causes their curiosity to wane. 4. Ask, "Am I fixing a problem or a symptom?" The company's slow growth didn't mean it needed stricter rules. The problem was about communication and culture. Those two things were causing stagnation. What came of this? The realization was that decisions were based on narrow perspectives. The fix : ✓ Change the frequency of decision-making. ✓ Giving team members’ ability to debate ideas. ✓ Allowing team leads to make decisions. 12 months later: ✓ The turnover rate is down by 60%+ ✓ Growth occurred within weeks. ✓ They had a successful Series C round. ✓ They are currently planning and entertaining acquisitions. But it started with attacking the right problem. Now, everyone wins. Follow me Anndrea J I share business & investment tips.

Why Leaders Who Can Properly Delegate Will Avoid This Suffocating Business Trap by Darian Shimy The infamous "Founder's Trap" — where founders or leads end up taking on too much — can stagnate any company's growth. Learn how to avoid it by delegating.

🏗️ Building a Business: The Fundamentals of Success 🏗️ Starting and growing a successful business is a journey filled with challenges, opportunities, and invaluable lessons. Whether you're launching a startup or scaling an established company, there are fundamental principles that can guide you towards sustainable success. Here are some key elements to consider: Clear Vision and Mission 🌟 Define a clear vision and mission for your business. Your vision should inspire and motivate, while your mission outlines the purpose and goals of your company. This foundation will guide your decisions and strategies. Customer-Centric Approach 🛠️ Understand your customers' needs and preferences. Building a customer-centric business means prioritizing their satisfaction and creating products or services that truly add value. Listen to feedback and continuously improve. Strong Value Proposition 💡 What makes your business unique? Your value proposition should clearly communicate the benefits and advantages of your products or services. This is what sets you apart from the competition and attracts customers. Solid Business Plan 📋 Develop a comprehensive business plan that outlines your goals, strategies, and financial projections. A well-thought-out plan provides direction and helps secure funding from investors. Effective Leadership 👥 Strong leadership is crucial for business success. Lead by example, empower your team, and foster a positive and inclusive company culture. Effective leaders inspire their teams to achieve common goals. Agility and Adaptability ⚙️ The business landscape is constantly evolving. Stay agile and be prepared to adapt to changes in the market, technology, and customer behavior. Flexibility allows your business to thrive in dynamic environments. Financial Management 💰 Maintain sound financial practices. Keep track of your expenses, manage cash flow effectively, and plan for both short-term and long-term financial stability. Wise financial management is key to sustaining and growing your business. Marketing and Branding 📣 Invest in marketing and branding to build awareness and attract customers. A strong brand identity and effective marketing strategies will help you reach your target audience and drive growth. Continuous Learning and Innovation 📚 Stay curious and committed to continuous learning. Encourage innovation within your team and stay updated with industry trends. Embracing new ideas and technologies keeps your business competitive. Building Strong Relationships 🤝 Foster strong relationships with customers, partners, and stakeholders. Networking and collaboration can open new opportunities and support your business growth. Building a successful business is a marathon, not a sprint. By focusing on these fundamental principles, you can lay a strong foundation and navigate the path to long-term success. #BusinessBuilding #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Innovation #FinancialManagement #Marketing #Branding

Working with business owners every day, I believe #1 and #4 are keys to success.

If you own a business, you likely started out doing everything yourself. So, it can feel unnatural and difficult to let go of responsibilities as you start adding team members. However, if you want to take your business to the next level, you’ll need to have someone whose skills complement your own. That’s why a company needs a Visionary (aka CEO) and an Integrator (aka president) to succeed: https://lnkd.in/ghqP4yqq