Running a business is no easy feat. Especially if that business is in real estate or any sales/performance-driven industry for that matter. I never set out to be a CEO, but I believe the best leaders are those who first work in the industry – boots on the ground, on the tools for years mastering the reps.
I talk a lot about my unconventional leadership journey and reviving the family business that was on the brink of collapse. These were without a doubt my hardest days, but that doesn’t mean the tough times were over once we were profitable.
We just grew into bigger problems. That’s the nature of business (and life).
Even today, eight years into my journey as real estate principal, there are challenges. There are challenging conversations, difficult decisions, unpredictable lead generation and conversion, recruiting the right people, and holding a vision through it all.
It’s why I’m so systems-obsessed, because having the right processes and people help create ease. Leaders don’t have to do it all alone and shouldn’t get caught up in having the final say on everything, as that leads to burnout. Everything should be held together by a strong operating system, not a busy leader who is the bottleneck.
Creating space to reflect on decisions made (what went well, what didn’t) is key for every leader, yet this is the one we struggle with the most. Maintaining positivity through the mistakes and not catastrophising bad decisions – especially during periods of lean cash flow periods or losing a key employee or client – comes with practice.
If you’re in the thick of it, don’t be too hard on yourself. Just take the time to learn from the situation, so you come out of it better prepared for the next opportunity.
Stay grounded in the knowing that good times follow the hard, and vice versa. Don’t deviate from your values and vision but challenge it often as you change. Surround yourself with great people, inside and outside the business.
TLDR:
- Audit your bottlenecks. Document every decision you make over the next week. Mark the ones that genuinely needed you, and which ones could be handled by a system or a trusted person? That gap is where to start building.
- Schedule a reflection slot. Block 30 minutes at the end of each week – not to plan, just to review. What went well? What didn't? What would you do differently? Treat it like any other non-negotiable meeting.
- Establish your operating system. Focus on centralising everything into one system, not multiple places/platforms. Read up about EOS if you’re new to this. Stay tuned for something I have coming up.
- Know your outside support. Who outside your business do you turn to when things get hard? A mentor, a peer group, a coach? Assemble these people before there’s a problem.
- Clarify your values and vision. This one highlights the importance of the reflection spot. You need space for this one.