First, I would like to point out that I have used the term CEO in a very loose form to represent the general perception of a CEO lifestyle, where one is boss to everyone and accountable to no one.
In the first year or couple of years of your business operation, there are a lot of things you will be doing as the founder, but none of them includes playing Boss. If anything, you will in fact take on any and every role to fill every vacuum. It is not uncommon to find the founder acting as a marketer, business developer, sales manager, accountant, secretary, and so on. Without taking on any of the titles, the founder will carry out all the functions in the beginning, and only let them go when he employs others with time.
Even after employing others, most successful entrepreneurs will tell you that in the first couple of years, they had to sit in the same room and work with the other employees. It is at this stage that you walk into an office and cannot differentiate the founder from the rest of the employees. And indeed, this is what it should be.
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“I’m a boss, I get to do what I want to do and I can come in whenever I want and close whenever I want and I don’t have to answer to anyone. No one tells me what to do…”
As a founder and entrepreneur, this is the exact mindset you do not need. In fact, if you do your recruiting right, you should get some life-saving suggestions and insights from your employees but if you decide to act like a boss instead of an employee, you would be taking the quickest route to failure.
As the founder, you have the employees accountable to you. The next question is who are you accountable to? Who will make sure you attend your meetings, meet deadlines, and do all you have on your to-do list?
Some CEOs and founders will tell you that their Personal Assistants or Executive Assistants are like the bosses they have to answer to. They draw up the itinerary, schedule meetings, oversee operations, and make sure that the CEO shows up and does all he is supposed to. Although they are assistants, they are often critical parts of the business and keep the CEO on his toes.
The word ‘entrepreneur’ is not synonymous with ‘boss. As a founder, if you don’t hold yourself accountable and you don’t have someone who does, you will fail.
Be focused on selling your product and idea first. Know what is going on with sales, or else your business might hit the rocks. you should know how to connect with the customers instead of playing Boss. Don’t try to be too much of a business owner, but focus on trying to sell and make money based on your selling abilities
That dream life of a CEO will come anyway, but trying to live the dream too early can kill the dream. The dream life of an entrepreneur based on social media perception can be late mornings, dishing out the orders and taking no one’s suggestions but yours; but if you choose to toe this path in your business, you can well expect a crash soon.