If not, then any vision a leader has will ultimately fail if those who are charged with helping them achieve that it feel as though they are being pushed along a path they either don’t agree with, or aren’t comfortable with yet.
Passion with mindfulness
Although it may seem unnatural, as the leader in your family business, it’s when you feel most excited about a vision for the business that you must take a step back and assess that vision from every angle. Passion for an idea can cause you to ‘put the blinkers on’ to possible downfalls and disadvantages of the project. If you keep the blinkers on, the result may be that the project, which has huge potential for success, either never gets off the ground or fails because you haven’t been objectively assessed the pros and cons.
Don’t assume everyone will share your vision
When embarking on a new journey within your business, no matter what the size of the venture, it’s vital to engage with those who are going to help you achieve your vision and conversely those who can impact its progress if they aren’t on board. Within a family business getting this support and buy at the outset is even more important given that family and business are so closely intertwined. It can be easy to bulldoze along an idea with those on board by your side, and not engage with those not fully convinced. This is dangerous, as often those are the people who need to be convinced in order for a project to be fully successful. These key influencers can be family members in senior positions or those on the ground floor who will ultimately embody your vision.
Be your own Devil’s Advocate
No idea is bulletproof; there will be flaws in every vision, which can often be overlooked because of those ‘blinkers’. Leaders who get caught up in the assumptions they make without testing them with key players in the business and in the family are putting themselves in a dangerous situation. When you have that great idea, step back and poke as many holes in it as possible. If you know you can’t, then get someone involved who doesn’t get swept up in ideas and fantasies who can ‘bring you back to earth’ when necessary. By looking at an idea objectively and from all angles, it can be restructured until it’s as bulletproof as possible.
Keep the balance
In the end, too much passion can be as destructive as too much pessimism – both could end in the stagnation of new ideas that help to keep the family business profitable and sustainable over the longer term. Family business leaders need to remember that as much conviction as they feel about their ideas, other decision makers within the business may have quite differing views. That’s why it’s important to temper vision with mindfulness. In order to get all the key family and business players on board with new ideas, sometimes it’s prudent to slow down and assess the vision from their eyes. By doing this, a leader can figure out exactly what to do moving forward in order to make sure everyone is on board, that there is no disruption to the business and harmony within the family is maintained.
