One Month Vacation

That’s right. I just got back from a one month vacation in Sicily.

You may ask how I did this. Isn’t hard to own a company and take time off? Don’t you worry about everything going to heck while you’re away?

Not for me.

Why? One thing. An awesome team.

The talent, skill, intelligence and commitment of the staff at Next Step are so strong that I didn’t even flinch about leaving for a month. Their roles are clear, I trust them and they don’t need to be micromanaged anyway.

The results we're clear. We made our summer budget and also our September budget while I was away. They are even throwing me a welcome back lunch tomorrow! God, I love them….. And am very proud.

In “Good to Great,” Jim Collins writes about that one of the signs of a great company is that when the leader leaves, the company stays on track and doesn’t falter. He writes that often leadership styles are based on gregarious, big egos and when this larger than life character leaves, the company’s momentum (and profits) goes down the tubes. So the company looks good for awhile, but not great long-term.

A friend asked me how I felt about the fact that they company did just fine without me. He was implying that my ego may have been bruised because I didn’t feel “needed” anymore.

I actually felt quite the opposite way. I felt smart for hiring such great people that can run the show without a bump in the road for a month. It’s the sign of a good leader when he/she can surround himself/herself and keep A players.

It also woke me up to the fact that I am needed less and less in the day to day details. They team does a great job at these. So this will give me more time to spend growing the company with new ideas and direction.

Geez, maybe next time I’ll take two months off!