Top 3 Things That Keep Business Leaders Up At Night
Leaders often face business challenges that require more than a quick-fix meeting or phone call. In all honesty, those challenges keep business leaders up at night. Issues like potential declining profit margins or sales, non-performing employees, and finding (and keeping) the right talent aren’t always solvable “problems” but more like ever expanding puzzles that require constant attention.
So when we hear The National Sleep Foundation say that adults need about seven hours of sleep a night in order to feel rested, we think to ourselves that surely doesn’t apply to the leader types.
The following are the Top 3 five business challenges that we hear, are keeping leaders like you up at night:
- Customers
Even though you might not be physically involved with the production and delivery of their product/service or available during every customer meeting, ensuring customer happiness isn’t very far from your mind. Our company’s and employee’s online footprint can start a customer’s experience long before the first direct contact with the company. We are seeing companies shift from being departmentalized to a more customer centric model reflecting the impact that everyone in the company can have on a customer’s experience.
- People
Amidst all of the computers, software, smartphones and other supporting technology in the workplace, the true stars of the show are your people. Smart leaders know they can’t do it all alone, and there’s much emphasis placed on finding and cultivating high-performing talent. And for a leader, that means hiring employees who are living, breathing representations of, well, themselves.
Antwayne Ford feels this pressure. “One of the things we do at Enlightened is try to make sure that our leaders have the same DNA as the executive management,” he says. “When I don’t have somebody who doesn’t have my DNA, that keeps me up at night. “
No matter what, investing in people – humans with complex emotions – can sometimes be a gamble. That’s why finding smart, positive, motivated professionals who share the vision you have for your company and keeping them happy is an important part of the success of your business.
- Regulatory/Economic
It’s one thing to have to smooth the waters every once in a while in your own company, but sometimes you get an extra helping of playing peacemaker, especially within companies that rely on other companies for the success of their business. If you think it’s hard to keep one business running smoothly, imagine being negatively impacted every time another business hits a rough patch or you are threatened by a new regulation. That’s why taking the time to really understand and communicate with every kind of partner in your business and staying updated on the regulatory landscape, is vital to your professional relationships, both in-house and otherwise.
The Fairfax Chamber of Commerce is very familiar with all of the above and is there to support its membership regardless of the business challenge. They would like to know what is keeping you up at night? Take our brief survey, find out what keeps others like you from getting their eight hours.
Cerius Executives have successfully helped small, start-up ventures to Fortune 100, overcome their most challenging business problems. For more information, please go to www.ceriusexecutives.com or call us at (888) 565-5289.