15 Lessons from a 4th Gen Entrepreneur

It’s Planning Season – again – as we enter the 4^th Quarter.  Sounds a little like Groundhog Day with Bill Murray – it just keeps repeating. 🙂 Hopefully you’ve got your planning time on the schedule OR maybe you’re done!

Either way, be sure to also allow time with your team to celebrate your accomplishments, talk about what you want to continue to do AND what you need to stop doing.  (As Murray’s character discovered, you’ll keep stepping in the same pothole of ice-cold water if you don’t learn from your mistakes. :))

Chris Burkhard, CEO of the Outside-In™ family of companies and the facilitator of our New Castle County Chamber CEO Think Tank® group, has also had a lot of learnings through the years.  His company just celebrated its 15^th Anniversary and Chris did a similar exercise reflecting on his company’s success – and some of his failures.

His blog captures the 15 lessons he’s learned along the way, advice he might give his 32 year old self after surviving two recessions, a crisis or two and growing the company to over 100 employees the past few years.

My favorites?

• #7 Don’t reinvent the wheel – As Chris points out, there’s usually someone who’s had a similar challenge or issue.  Go out and find them when you’re stuck, and then reach out and get their perspective and guidance.  I’ve used this one numerous times in my own business AND it’s one of the guiding principles in our CEO Think Tank groups too!
• #2 Know where you are on the Growth Curve – Growth is challenging, but the stages are predictable. Each stage of growth requires different things from the company, the leader, the management team, and all the employees. Knowing where you are and seeking out mentors and advisors who can give you insights on what’s coming can be life-changing for your company.
• #11 Mastery takes 10,000 hours – Learning to be a leader takes time and perseverance – AND – is never done. Enough said!

And read on here for more “lessons learned” from a 4^th Generation Entrepreneurial leader.

 

 

 

 

Tags: Business advice for the mid-market, Business Coaching, Executive Education, Executive Education for Small Business, Executive Roundtables, Leadership Development for Small Business, Leadership Development in New Jersey, Leadership Development in Philadelphia, Overcoming small business challenges, Small business advice, Strategic planning for small business