Navigating New Management

The Owner/Operator as Leader Not Micromanager

First do no harm. ETA after ETA after ETA story gives fair warning: don’t change anything in the first three to six months. I would argue post-acquisition integration is even more important than purchasing ‘the right business’.

You’re the newly minted owner/operator of a business and you understand you’re going to ‘first do no harm’. Easy day. But now you’ve dropped into a whole new culture. What’s your leadership style going to be? In the spirit of what got you here won’t get you there, here are two things to think about:

First, you’ve probably heard, “don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions”. If you’re a veteran, I know you’ve heard it. It’s been attributed to Margaret Thatcher and Teddy Roosevelt. Either way, it’s horrible leadership advice. Yes, as a new owner/operator you’re going to want your new employees to be 100 percent candid with you on the state of the business; the good, the bad, and the ugly. However, the major issue with this worn out management trope is that you end up with problems being swept under the rug. Your new employees don’t know you from Bob, and this trope is a surefire way to keep their mouths shut. You see, they expect you to be able to address and solve problems. What are leaders for? Other leadership experts have given the old trope a new twist, “Tell me what the problems are, and we’ll figure out how to solve them together”. Better. Now your new employees are more likely to report problems, and you’re going a long way towards building trust with them.

Second, and harder, is the other side of that coin. And this comes from none other than General George S. Patton himself, “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” But this too, doesn’t come without risk. Especially to your psyche as the new owner/operator. It’s a delicate balance between the two, yet if you get the combination right, you’ll be cultivating a culture unafraid to address problems, and empowered to do the right thing. And you’re well on your way towards building that high-performance team you’ve dreamed of when you started the ETA journey.