Keep challenging yourself to drive business growth

If you want to see your business grow, you have to continue growing as an executive and leader. 

Many business leaders come from an entrepreneurship background. The transition from an entrepreneur to a C-suite leader is often a difficult one. 

When you’re an entrepreneur, your vision is your biggest asset. And in most cases, it takes a lot of effort and hard work on your part to make that vision a reality. You need to be able to think big, but you also have to be prepared to dig into the details and be part of the day-to-day grind with your team. 

As your business grows, your responsibilities as a leader change. Strategic vision becomes more important than tactical intelligence. Your job is to empower your team to implement that strategic vision. 

It no longer makes sense for you to roll up your sleeves on the front lines of daily operations. If you do, it’s likely you’ll lose sight of the big picture. 

You have to understand every aspect of the business, from products and services to operations, vendor relationships, marketing, and business development. But you have to stay focused on bigger goals. That means having the right people in place and trusting their skills, experience and passion.

Many entrepreneurs prefer to repeat themselves rather than make the transition. Instead of evolving into an executive leader, they shift from one big idea to another. 

There’s nothing wrong with that. But leaders who want to see their vision sustained over the long run must be prepared to accept the responsibilities of an executive leadership role. And to make that business last, they have to continue facing challenges and transitions as they reach each goal. 

Reaching the C suite isn’t the end of anything. It’s just the beginning of a new journey as a leader. And that journey is a constant series of new challenges. If you’re not facing leadership challenges and evolving as an executive, it may mean that your company isn’t growing. Personal growth happens when we encounter new obstacles and turn them into opportunities. The same applies to business organizations. 

I opened my first automotive franchise store more than 30 years ago. I hired the staff, trained them and realized that they could handle the daily operations. I opened a second franchise store, and then another. Eventually, I owned nine franchise locations.

My vision changed. I wasn’t just a franchisee. I was a franchisee with multiple locations. That brought new challenges and opportunities and demanded new skills and expertise. I grew and developed new goals. 

The next one was to launch my own franchise. That was a major transition. I took everything I knew about automobiles, the aftermarket accessory and service industry, and the franchise industry and revisited my dream of owning my own car audio and accessory shop. I acquired and converted six auto accessory and window tinting centers in Florida into the beginning of an automotive styling centers franchise that is currently the largest and fastest-growing automotive accessories and window tinting franchise in the U.S., with locations in four different countries.

Of course, some challenges are unique. But they all offer opportunities. 

When the Covid-19 pandemic began, there was a lot of uncertainty. No one knew what the future would hold. Many businesses started shutting their doors to comply with local, state and national restrictions. Businesses had to develop new approaches to retain consumer confidence and trust.

One of our first steps was to review the operations of each Tint World® franchise. We confirmed they were each in compliance with their local city/state mandates, following best practices recommended by the CDC, and operating their businesses efficiently. 

Our next step was to communicate these efforts to our customers, letting them know our stores were safe to visit while earning their trust and confidence. 

Despite the pandemic, no Tint World location permanently closed its doors in 2020. Operating as an essential business not only allowed us to provide critical services to the frontlines, it also permitted us to engage with our local customer bases in new ways and grow during a period of great economic uncertainty. 

We learned how important communication was during that crisis. As a company, we’ve continued to emphasize trust and transparency with our customers. As a leader, I continue to emphasize those values to my team. Our open communication helps us identify new opportunities for revenue and new markets. 

There’s always more to learn and more to do. Leaders should constantly be seeking new opportunities and challenges, for themselves and their teams. Challenges are opportunities to grow as a leader – and as a business.

Written by Charles Bonfiglio.

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