If you triple your business but triple your problems, have you really grown?
This past week, while driving to the 2nd day of a client facilitation in rural Franklin, Tennessee, I found myself thinking about a conversation I'd just had with a business owner.
We were talking about the exciting possibility of tripling the size of his business over the next three years. The market opportunity was there. The strategy was coming together.
And the potential was genuinely exciting.
But something struck me.
What happens if you triple the size of your business without changing the way you lead
it?
You might triple your revenue.
But you could also triple your headaches, triple your stress, and triple the number of people waiting for you to make decisions.
Congratulations! You've built a bigger business and potentially a bigger prison.
The Heart of the Problem
One of the things I've learned through years of working with business owners is that transformational change rarely starts with the business.
It starts with the person leading it.
We can develop incredible strategies, identify opportunities, improve processes, and create ambitious growth plans.
But if the owner doesn't change their behaviors, habits, and beliefs, those plans often become nothing more than expensive exercises.
It's a little like believing that getting married, having children, or earning more money will somehow solve all your existing problems.
It doesn't.
You bring yourself, including your habits and challenges, into every new circumstance.
And I'm certainly not immune.
(Carl J Cox & Ryan Englin, CEO of Core Matters)
A Little Embarrassing Confession
Recently, I was speaking at the GrowthDrive Conference in Charleston, South Carolina, when I found myself missing part of an important session.
Why?
Because I was personally processing an employee's I-9 paperwork.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Here I was, someone who spends much of his professional life helping business owners delegate, build better systems, and create companies that operate independently of them.
And I was sitting there doing administrative paperwork!
The irony wasn't lost on me.
Initially, I had several perfectly reasonable explanations.
Our team was busy. The task involved sensitive employee information. There were confidentiality concerns and risks associated with payroll responsibilities.
All legitimate.
But were there reasons the task couldn't be delegated?
Or were they explanations I'd grown comfortable telling myself?
Sometimes the biggest obstacle to change isn't the problem. It's our unwillingness to confront why we haven't solved it.
Counseling Without Improvement
There's something I call counseling without improvement.
It's when we repeatedly talk about our frustrations, complain about our circumstances, or discuss everything that's going wrong.
But nothing changes.
Now, I'm all for having someone listen. We all need encouragement and support.
But at some point, talking must become action.
So, while driving through Tennessee, I decided to practice what I preach.
Why was I still doing this task?
Because I hadn't created a dependable alternative.
Why hadn't I created one?
Because I'd allowed concerns about capacity, confidentiality, and risk to prevent me from finding a better solution.
What would actually solve the problem?
Identify the right person, establish clear responsibilities and safeguards, and transfer the work.
And wouldn't you know it?
(Carl J Cox in Nashville)
Right there, while talking through the problem, I identified someone who could take it over.
Problem solved! Well, at least the path to solving it was finally clear for my specific payroll problem.
My personal stress relief was immediate. Next week, I will train the team members, and the following week, I will not catch up on solving this important task, while I am speaking at the 40 Strategy Growth Workshop in Phoenix, Arizona.
Speaking of that, we are one week and one day away from the reception at our 2nd workshop. We are sold out (a little over sold) and we have an incredible group of speakers that will change the future for the 40 business owners in attendance.
Freedom Is a Better Measure of Success
One of the questions we ask business owners through our CAPTAIN Strategy process is whether they could leave their company for an entire month and have it continue operating with excellence.
Not simply survive.
Thrive.
If the answer is no, there's still work to do.
I've seen business owners create substantial value by building leadership teams and removing themselves from daily operational responsibilities.
Suddenly, their business becomes more enjoyable to own and potentially far more
valuable to sell.
That's a real transformation.
But it requires more than a strategy.
It requires trust, preparation, accountability, and the willingness to let go.
And perhaps most importantly, it requires changing the heart and mindset of the person leading the business.
My current trip to 9 states in 12 days has highlighted opportunities that I need to hire more and delegate more. What an exciting moment of clarity.
I am finishing this writing in Louisville, Kentucky, and heading back to Nashville today.
