This series of blog posts has been discussing the important lesson I’ve learned from the experience of working with my dog, Kailee, and her trainer Susan. Susan made the point that “Yes, Therese. You can outsource having Kailee exercised…But you cannot outsource being the leader.”

Too often we get so good at and have such great results by delegating tasks, that this simple example with Kailee really showed me the downside to this way of being. We are over using delegation to not face the music or take personal responsibility when we use it to stick our heads in the sand and not have the courage it takes sometimes to be a powerful leader and work through the situations that are challenging.

Let’s break it down further….

Here’s a list of things you can and should outsource:
Marketing activities
Sending out newsletters/articles
Booking appointments/scheduling speakers
Research
Bookkeeping
Social media content
Client support
Word processing/data entry
Graphics/web design
Copywriting
Setting up teleseminars, events
Follow up via cards, etc.
Database management

But this is what you absolutely can’t give away:
Being the leader for your team
Speaking the truth when things are hard
Creating the culture of your company and sharing that
Visioning for the future
Raising the bar for expectations
Communicating what’s real
Taking responsibility – the buck stops with you

For me these are some pretty powerful distinctions. Leadership isn’t easy at times. It takes courage. You may not be popular and loved by all. Yet there is no more important asset to you as a business owner. And I also know it’s like a muscle that you can work to strengthen.

So that’s my challenge to you this week. Look at the places in your business where there are opportunities to outsource, and then find more opportunities to lead. What’s gonna change in all of this? YOU! You will find strength in yourself you didn’t know, and a resolve that will serve you well. Step up and step out! We need your gifts in the world.

Blessings,
Therese

In my last post, I gave some background about my relationship with my dog, Kailee, and Kailee’s trainer, Susan. I had been struggling with the dog training process. Kailee, Susan, and I had been out walking together when I had the thought, “This is the feeling that I used to have before I outsourced all the areas of my business that I don’t like and I’m not good at.”

I was having a de ja vu moment that all entrepreneurs go through when they hit the wall from not working in their strengths. With my clients and those I teach, I always talk about creating a business that you will love. And doing tasks that are not in your skill set will drag you down faster than anything.

In that moment I knew why I was such a champion of outsourcing. In fact, I said to Susan, “If this were my business, I’d outsource this because it’s not fun, and I’m not doing a very good job at it. Plus I’m super frustrated!” If it were a business task it would definitely be a thing to turn over to a trusty VA, don’t you think? That was so powerful because truthfully I have such an outsourced business today, that there are very few things that I do that I don’t love. So in that moment, I felt the pain that many of you may be going through if you don’t have a team to take away some of the tasks that are dragging you down.

Now let’s fast forward. The next time Susan was over I proudly shared the parallel that dog training and delegation meant to me. And she had a brilliant response the deepened my entrepreneurial connection and understanding of what to give away. She said, “Yes Therese, you can outsource having Kailee exercised…

“But you cannot outsource being the leader.”

In that moment, it all shifted for me. I had recently watched a colleague’s business almost go down the drain because this person didn’t embrace being the leader when things got hard. And I realized that we are all at risk if we take this too far.

I’m excited to share with you in my next post the final lesson that I was able to take away from this experience, and how it has impacted my business.

Blessings,
Therese