Becoming the Captain of Your Life and Business

Have you ever stared out at the vast ocean and realized it's time to take command of the helm in your own life? That's the epiphany I had while cruising the seas, and it sparked a bunch of insights you won't want to miss. As a serial entrepreneur, I'm no stranger to the demands of leadership, but there's something about being at sea that brings into focus what it means to truly steer your ship—be it your business, family, or personal endeavors. In our latest Quality of Life podcast episode, I'm serving up a treasure trove of wisdom on acceptance, decisive action, and the guts it takes to call the shots. No guests, just straight talk from my heart to yours, laced with the salty air of the open ocean.

Get ready to throw off the bowlines and sail into a discussion that will challenge everything you thought you knew about being in charge. From the nuances that separate a boss from a leader to the swift decision-making that could steer you clear of icebergs, I take you on a journey that's as empowering as it is enlightening. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just navigating the waters of everyday life, this episode is an invitation to claim your title as captain with confidence. Chart your course, raise the anchor, and let the voyage to visionary leadership begin.

Thanks for listening! I'm glad you're here.

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See ya next week!
Erin

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Welcome to the Quality of Life podcast. I'm Erin Olson, a wife, a mother and a serial entrepreneur. After starting three successful businesses, I've learned some hard lessons regarding the ins and the outs of starting and running a small business. My intention is to share my knowledge that I've learned from the School of Hard Knocks, so you don't have to learn it the hard way like I did. Each week, I hope, to guide you to the next level in your business or in the business that you're working. So let's go. Hey guys, welcome back to the Quality of Life podcast.

Speaker 1: 0:43

This week is all about stepping into the role of captain of your ship. Alright, I know that we all know that we are in charge of our businesses, but some of us really have a hard time actually stepping into that leadership role of captain or head chief, and I have been guilty of this myself. This concept is a major game changer when running a small business. I mean, knowing that you are in charge and actually taking charge are two totally different things. So how do you actually step into that role? Well, I have some notes that I took while I was on a cruise recently about the qualities of a captain or leader, and maybe they can help you to become the leader and captain of your boat. That is your business or your life. These are not necessarily limited to those in business, but they are very important qualities that can help you in your everyday life as a mom, as a wife, as a husband, as just an employee at a business that you work at. So get ready to take some notes, because today is going to be good. If I do say so myself, there is something about a cruise that really allows you to look at your life in a different way. I mean, you don't have to plan dinners, you don't have to do chores, you just have to eat, drink and breathe. Well, since I had so much less to actually do, I was able to actually contemplate things while I was enjoying all the days at sea where there was so much that you could do but nothing that you had to do. Think about this for a minute. There were 2,500 guests on this ship and about 500 employees, and the captain is in charge and accountable for everything that happens on that boat. It really got me thinking of all that it would take to be the captain and how it relates to business and life. A captain is not just a boss, but he is a leader. Without him or her, the boat could run aground or even sink, just like your business. So what exactly does it take to be captain? Oh my gosh. So much, but here is a list of a few of the qualities that you must possess to be the captain of the boat, a business, or even your life.

Speaker 1: 2:58

Well, first and foremost, acceptance. Yes, you heard me right. You have to accept that you are the one calling all the shots and the one who will ultimately be held accountable for the outcomes of those choices. This can be seen a couple ways. You can either feel burdened by this or you can feel empowered by it, and the choice is yours. Honestly, I go back and forth between these two. Sometimes it just feels like too much or too heavy for me to continue on, but that is usually a sign that I need to delegate something or that I am outside of the plan that I have for my business. Most of the time, though, I feel empowered by the fact that I have the ability to make the decisions and not be a victim to a decision that someone else has made.

Speaker 1: 3:43

Next, a captain has to have the ability to make decisions quickly and then execute immediately. I know that in this day and age we are so afraid of making the wrong choice or a mistake that might upset somebody or might actually get us canceled, but this is a very important trait that we all need to be a little bit better at. How many times have you gone back and forth about whether to do one thing or another thing and dreaded and drawn out the decision making process and then, when you finally do take action, it's either too late and you've missed your chance, or it wasn't as scary as you thought it would be and way less painful. That has happened to me more times than I can count. So think about this for a minute. You're a captain of a boat and you are notified of an iceberg on your path. Yes, well, like Titanic, how long would it take you to go back and forth trying to decide which way to go before you take action? Not very long at all, I bet. Well in business, I can tell you that delaying action is one of the most harmful things that a leader can do. Be decisive. You don't have to know every possible outcome, every possible choice and all of the facts to make a decision. In fact, waiting too long can actually sink your ship. So, using your knowledge and experience, make the best informed decision, pray about it and execute it immediately.

Speaker 1: 5:11

I have used this tactic so many times over the years and I am a firm believer that if you ask God for help and then act, you will be blessed, even if it is not the best choice. Even the Bible has something to say about this, in James 1, 5 through 8. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all that they do. Now just let that sink in for a minute and I will repeat it one more time for the people in the back. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one that doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind, that person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all that they do. Well, that scripture pretty much explains it as clearly as day.

Speaker 1: 6:31

Also, when you are decisive and act accordingly, you give your team members a reason to trust you, which brings me on to another quality of a captain. They are trustworthy. Everyone on the boat with you needs to know that you will keep them safe and that you have integrity, a knowing that you will follow through and do what you will say you will do. In business, this is so important. Many businesses have trouble when the leader doesn't follow through with the rules or policies, or if they do things that seem like they are only worried about themselves. I have personally been guilty of this one, not only in my business, but also my family. I mean, I have let my kid get away with so much stuff when he was younger because I was too tired to follow through and to hold him accountable. I have done things in the past in business that have not been explained to my team how this benefits them, and I have allowed people to walk all over me and not enforce the policies quick enough. This has caused drama and made it way harder to get everyone on the boat paddling in the same direction. Don't let this happen to you. And that leads me to another quality of a captain Communication.

Speaker 1: 7:45

How many times have you heard that little quote? What we have here is a failure to communicate. I have seen it too many times in my business and businesses that I have worked in. A lack of communication from the top causes people to make up stories about things that are going on, and then people get worried. Now let me clarify that. You do not need to tell those that work with you everything. In fact, you should really keep a lot of this stuff to yourself, especially your fears. But a clear conversation about where you are going and why it matters to them and the business goes a long way in comforting your team. Also, clearly communicating your expectations of your individual team members is so, so important. It is way easier to hold people accountable when they know exactly what is expected of them, but I will get into that in way more depth in another episode.

Speaker 1: 8:42

Another quality that a captain has is the ability to surround themselves with a quality team that knows their job and places each team member in the correct spot in the business, growing them from within to help them to be the best at wherever they are placed. Also, by removing people that are not good fit for their job or the company in a timely manner. Sometimes people are just better suited for a different position, or sometimes people are like a cancer in the business and they just need to go. This is another one of those decisions that needs to be made swiftly, and doing so is going to show your team that you do have their best interests in mind. I can remember when I was working at Hay Chicks, there was a little tiff among some of our employees and we tried so hard to help that person to fit in better and to create no more drama, but it ultimately was like cancer in our business, and I will tell you that when we finally let that person go, it was like the fog had lifted and everybody was so grateful, even though they didn't say it. You could tell that the person that was holding everybody back from being happy and doing their jobs in the best way possible. As soon as they were gone, things just changed and everybody grew together, and I will tell you it was a tough decision, but it had to be made, and I wish that I would have done it sooner.

Speaker 1: 10:07

Another quality that a good captain has is the ability to plan and set a course to get there. This is a very important attribute of a good captain. Without a plan, it is so hard to hit your goals, whether it be revenue goals, product goals or in your culture. You must be able to plan and have goals to strive for. When doing this as a captain, you have to possess this quality tunnel vision and peripheral vision, and the ability to do both at the same time. Now let me explain. You must have tunnel vision when working towards a goal and following the plan. How else will you reach your destination? You have to avoid distractions, reading the winds or the economy and adjusting as necessary, but ultimately, you must not get distracted and follow the course that you've plotted. As the saying goes, ships don't sink because of the water around them. Ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don't let what's happening around you get inside and weigh you down. You will also need peripheral vision to be able to be conscious of the things happening around you, in your business and in the world, constantly reading situations in your team to make sure that no one is left out and watching for potential issues. Burying your head in the sand is not a good plan for dealing with economical hiccups or drama in the team, just saying.

Speaker 1: 11:37

Also, a qualified captain uses their time wisely. I know that time management is a big topic right now, but it is vitally important. I will get into this in another episode in the near future, but here is the bottom line. You have no business wasting your precious time without intention. You only have so much time and if you are going to use it wisely, you need to be focused and do what you are setting out to do. Even if you are intending to take a vacation, like I just did, you have to go all in on the tasks that move the needle the most. There's tons of great information out there, and I'm going to dive deep into this one later because it is so important.

Speaker 1: 12:20

And finally, the last important quality that I wrote down that a captain needs is the ability to respond and not react to things. What I mean by this is that you need to remain cool under pressure, like when a fire breaks out figuratively speaking, not physically. You take a beat and you deal with them in a way that is thoughtful and effective, not just spraying solutions or water all over the place. This is a skill that is learned through many, many years of experience, but to get better at this, all you need to do is to just not immediately react based on emotion or whatever pops in your mind. First, use common sense, take a deep breath and address the fires that will come up from a calm, cool and collected mind, even if you have to go hide in your car and scream for a bit to calm down, just so you know. I have done this myself, by the way.

Speaker 1: 13:18

But here's the rub as the captain of your life and your business, you must be able to venture into uncharted waters, not being driven by all of the waves that come upon you, calculate the risks and having a plan just in case, but forging ahead regardless. After all, a ship is safe in the harbor. But that is not what ships are made for, and you are not made for a cookie cutter life either. Otherwise you wouldn't be listening to this podcast. You are made to venture out and see what an amazing world this is that we live in and what you are capable of accomplishing.

Speaker 1: 13:56

Well, guys, I am sorry for all the boat analogies, but this cruise showed me a lot of things that I myself need to work on, and I thought that maybe it could help you, too. I hope that you strive to be a better captain, too. Please share this episode and rate it on whatever platform you listen to it on, as it will help others who might be dealing with the harder parts of entrepreneurship and just life in general. Well, guys, this ship is sailing off into the sunset until next week, so I will see you back here on the Quality of Life podcast. See ya. Thanks for listening to today's episode. Be sure to check us out on the Quality of Life podcast Facebook and Instagram pages and our website, theaaronolsoncom, for downloads and more information. That is T-H-E-E-R-I-N-O-L-S-O-Ncom. Stay up to date by joining our email newsletter. Together, we can improve all of our Quality of Life.