The Extra Mile

I was a technical rock climber in a former life. I began climbing at the age of 12, and eventually became certified as both a climber and a climbing instructor. What an exhilarating endeavor and I loved every minute of it—well, almost every minute.

There is a fair amount of physical pain associated with climbing, especially on big walls such as El Capitan or Half Dome. It was not uncommon to feel a toe breaking as I stretched for another handhold. And that is when a fellow climber would sometimes leave the climb because the pain was intolerable.

Think about your company. It is not unlike rock climbing, or another adrenaline-pumping sport. It is exhilarating to start a company, get to market, and nurture its growth. Yet there are numerous opportunities to experience pain. It occurs in the early days when you are wearing all the hats. The pain occurs when a few employees join your company and you can delegate aspects of all those hats, yet you retain control. And with continued growth you may experience pain when you need to terminate an employee, or when an employee acts in a way that harms the company.

This is your company and as the leader you don’t avoid the pain. You recognize it, learn from it, and realize at some point the pain will diminish. As an entrepreneur I want you to win regardless of your definition of “win.” You may want to be the leader in your industry, or perhaps you want to be recognized as a top place to work. Perhaps being named to the Fortune 100 list is your ultimate goal.

When you go to your studio tomorrow, my hope for you is that you will highlight the most important thing you need to get done. Maybe it’s finalizing that contract with your largest customer to date; maybe it’s a project you’ve been longing to initiate, or maybe it is a difficult conversation you need to have with your business partner or client or employee.

Whatever it is, go the extra mile because it is never crowded.

If you are experiencing pain in your business and are not sure how to get to that extra mile, I would be happy to talk you through it. I invite you to use the consult form below to request a short phone consultation with me. Sometimes talking it through with someone who has been in your shoes is enough to get you back on the right track.

As a serial business owner and current EOS^®Implementer™, I’ve experienced my share of business pains. It would be my pleasure to help alleviate yours, and introduce you to how EOS^® can get you to the extra mile.