Theme.
Theme.
This week we discuss something that some founders aren't particular good at - managing themselves. Topics include knowing when to read things at face value, accepting when your confidence outstrips your ability as well as a founder-hack that might help you better manage your business when you get sick. Enjoy.
Seen.
Sometimes it really is that simple
Ben met a founder recently who bizarrely caught himself negotiating with himself during a recent pitch to an investor. Instead of taking the investor's comment abut the three things he looked for in a business at face-value the founder focused on a fourth metric he thought the investor needed to know about instead.
Yeah we get it. Sometimes a founder needs to use a reality distortion field - to use their will-power and determination - to get things done. But sometimes they have to listen, really listen.
Is knowing when you need to switch perspectives between these two states the real skill here?
Read.
Does confidence really trump ability?
Julian Richer, of Richer Sounds fame, knows himself. Even to the extent when he realises his confidence often outstrips his ability.
Are successful entrepreneurs successful because they know how to balance their confidence and their ability? But where does ambition fit in? Isn't this a vital ingredient of the cake too?
Are confidence and ambition strangely more important than ability - we have a sneaky feeling they might be.
A link to Julian's article that sparked this conversation can be found here (but beware the paywall).
Learned.
Are you allowed to be sick?
Sometimes founders are sadly not allowed to get sick. I recently met an entrepreneur who had a great founder-hack to get around this. He scores himself when he finds himself under the weather and shares his score with his team. He gave himself a 3 out of 10 last week and asked the team to keep him away from doing anything too thought provoking or taxing. As he got better his scores went back up and he gradually took on more important tasks as he went.
We thought that not only was this a good approach to mitigate risk it was also a good way to steer a business well even when you aren't!
And finally.
A quote all about the power of being self-aware,
"He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened."
Not sure where it comes from unfortunately but I rather like it.
Don’t forget to check out the accompanying podcast version of #founderhacks for a tantalising live experience of team atomex!
