Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Business owners, are you feeling slammed, short staffed and stuck? Well, stick around because in this episode I'm unpacking the five warning signs. You need leadership development now so you can get back to growing your business.
[00:00:13] Welcome to why your business isn't growing and how to Fix It, a podcast for business owners who want practical people powered ways to grow your business without burning out. Hey, I'm Brendan Rogers. I want you to take a moment to think about the following five questions. Do projects stall on your desk like aircraft circling a fogged in Runway? Does top talent wave goodbye faster than you can fill the chair? Does every week feel like a whack, a mole firefight instead of a forward march? And what about your grand vision? Is it still living rent free in your head? And when you're fried, does the whole office walk on eggshells? Did you answer yes to any of these questions? If you did, you need to keep listening. Running a company shouldn't feel like you're herding cats.
[00:00:57] Over the years, I've had so many business owners tell me Brendan, I can't remember the last time I worked on the business instead of in it.
[00:01:05] The growth curve stalls, stress spikes, and suddenly growing your business feels impossible. Leadership isn't a soft skill, it's the engine room of business growth. When the engine misfires, you burn cash, burn people, and worst of all, you burn out. The question is, how do you know the issue is leadership and not marketing, finance or just the economy? Well, here are the five signs a business owner needs leadership development.
[00:01:32] The first one Decisions bottleneck at your desk. When every estimate, hire or marketing tweak needs your personal stamp of approval, you become the single thread throttling company. Throughput emails, DMs and Slack messages queue for your thumbs up. Projects stall, opportunities expire and your team learns to wait instead of act. Ponder this for a moment. Where are the $5 decisions still defaulting back to you? Second Sign Good people leave faster than you hire exit interviews mention unclear direction or no growth path. The translation they craved leadership, clarity and consistency.
[00:02:13] Every resignation drains knowledge and experience from the business and your recruitment costs climb like summer power bills. Which high potential person on your org chart might already be updating their resume? Number three you're constantly firefighting instead of forward planning. Every morning starts with what blew up overnight. Your planned weekly think time block fades away under client flare ups, email invoice disputes or staff dramas. Strategy days keep getting bumped until things settle, margins erode and growth plateaus. Which calendar slot could you defend like a medical appointment? This week. The fourth sign. Vision lives in your head, not in the hallways. Ask three staff to repeat the company mission and you'll hear three different stories, if any at all. When direction is implicit, teams row hard but in different currents. The result? Momentum stalls and you end up re explaining goals instead of advancing them. If a new hire asked any employee for the three year picture, would they quote you exactly or just shrug? The fifth sign. Your energy sets the wrong tone. Leaders set the emotional thermostat. When you're flat, the whole office tiptoes. When you're amped up, they sprint. Volatile energy creates emotional whiplash and burnout cascades down the line. What boundary could protect your personal battery during the next seven days? Leadership development isn't a corporate luxury. It's the secret sauce of growing your business.
[00:03:46] Address just one of these signs and you'll feel the gears mesh. Tackle all five and you'll free the engine for sustainable business growth. A short time back, I worked with a boutique consultancy business in a specialised field. Revenue had plateaued, the team wasn't meeting expectations and projects slipped. After a short time, the owner admitted every major decision still lands on my desk. I'm the bottleneck. We implemented a weekly one on one meeting. Rhythm created transparency through some key business and productivity metrics and got clarity on the key responsibilities for each member of the team.
[00:04:23] Within six months, there was a clear direction for the business. They stopped taking on jobs that weren't classified core business and reduced overheads through smart people decisions. The business owner clawed back so much time he was able to take his family on holiday for several months and business growth reignited. That's the power of leadership development. If you ignore these five signs, the meter will keep running. Lost deals from slow quotes we recruitment fees when a players leave and opportunity cost when you can't grow your business because you're stuck in the operational weeds.
[00:04:57] Leadership gaps rarely show up in your profit and loss statement. But they can burn cash in the background. So what's underneath every symptom? Well, there's three foundational levers. Clarity, capability and cadence. And here's one small improvement you could do for each one just straight away. Clarity of vision shared out loud and regularly. You can record a 60 second why we exist voice memo straight away and send it to your team. Ask every team member to reply with one sentence on how their role connects capability.
[00:05:31] Well, capability is built through coaching, not micromanaging. So block a 15 minute teach back slot tomorrow. Have one team member teach you and how they tackle a recurring task while you only ask clarifying questions. What does this do? Well, it flips control, uncovers gaps, and models a coaching mindset and cadence. The meeting rhythm that turns plans into habits and expectations into results.
[00:05:58] Schedule a 10 minute Friday win, lose, learn huddle. One win, one lost opportunity and one lesson per person.
[00:06:07] The microrhythm keeps reflection and momentum visible. Remember small improvements every day. That's how serious growth happens. And if you want to learn more about how to boost cash flow and win back your time, register now for my free live one hour workshop for SME business owners and Senior leaders where you'll learn to implement the five habits to unleash business growth.
[00:06:31] Go to LeaderByDesign.com I'm Brendan Rogers and this is why your business isn't growing and how to fix it. If today's episode resonated, follow the podcast and share it with another leader who's hungry to grow their business without burning out. Until next time, grow yourself. Grow your business.
[00:06:55] SME business owners and senior leaders tired of 60 hour weeks while cash flow crawls? Break free with my free 60 minute training the 5 habit method to boost cash flow without 60 hour weeks. Learn leadership habits that lift revenue, energize your team and let you clock off by five. You'll also see how the High Impact Leader membership delivers ongoing coaching, accountability and plug and play systems to elevate your career and company. Grab your seat at LeaderByDesign AU Impact.
