Leadership and Responsibility

“If you think you know everything, get someone to kick you in the ass or slap some sense into you.”

You are the coach, not the boss. You are not a leader if you cannot bring your team to the next level.

Let me be brutally honest with you – if you think you’ve got it all figured out as a boss, you’re already failing. I’ve seen too many leaders fall into this trap, and I’ve been there myself. The moment you believe you’re the expert at everything is the moment your team stops growing, and frankly, the moment you stop being effective.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

Here’s the reality: you cannot be the best CFO while also being a social media expert and a brain surgeon. It’s impossible, and trying to be everything to everyone will only hurt your organization. You have a CFO for a reason, you have a COO for a reason – because YOU do not know everything.

The power is literally in your hands, but that power isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about surrounding yourself with people who complement you and your needs. When I started my business, I cleaned toilets and swept floors. I’m not sure many top CEOs can say that, but it taught me something valuable – I needed people who were better than me at specific things.

Think of yourself as a coach assembling players for different positions. You’ve got your goalkeeper, your striker, and your CFO is your best defender. You need to assess your team and see where each person fits best. Maybe that person you have in sales would be better on the creative team because they have amazing ideas. Maybe your defensive player would make a better attacker.

The bottom line is this: you are the coach, not the boss. If you cannot bring your team to the next level, you are not a leader. You’re just someone with a title who’s probably making everyone’s life more difficult.

I’ve worked with bosses who thought they were kings of their castle, and I’ve seen their teams crumble. Their ego and personal gain became the culprits. They lost sight of the world and the people around them. Don’t be that person.

A good leader has a helicopter view of the business. They can see bottlenecks, improvements, and opportunities that others might miss. But this view only works when you acknowledge that you don’t have all the answers. You need your team’s expertise, their fresh perspectives, and their energy.

Remember where you came from. Remember how you struggled. Money might be the game, but it isn’t everything. Power and greed shouldn’t rule your world. A little goes a long way – a helping hand or a small token of appreciation can boost everyone at a struggling company.

So here’s my challenge to you: if you think you know everything, find someone who will tell you the truth. Find someone who will kick you in the ass when you need it. Because the fish stinks from the head down, and if your head stinks, your company will rarely succeed.

Be the coach your team deserves, not the know-it-all boss they have to endure.

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