What I have learned about an effective entourage is that they are not “followers” — They are actually the leaders that manage the CEO.
Entourages aren’t just for divas, though I don’t mind people thinking that is what I am. Every successful business leader has a sassy entourage behind her, pushing things forward and cleaning up messes. At one point, I tried to do everything myself. I even wrote a blog post about my super human powers:
Truth is, I don’t do “all the things” by myself…at least not anymore. Our primary small business grew by 5 million in revenue in the last year. Things had to change to make this happen and I had to find other smart divas to build the business up and create a backbone of operations so we could all succeed together.
Every stage of a company needs a different kind of entourage. At this point in our company positioning, my entourage consists of:
Executive Assistant. This is a recent hire for me, believe it or not. People have told me for years to hire one and I resisted it as I kept thinking “What will he/she do?”…..turns out, they can do a lot and if done well they keep unnecessary information from hitting your desk and cluttering your world. A skilled Executive Assistant keeps you organized and focused. They keep distractions at bay so you can focus on building the companies. They organize your emails, keep your calendar up-to-date and redirect your attention to priorities.
Personal Assistant. For me, this person also watches my baby. She does my laundry, keeps my house organized, does my grocery shopping, schedules activities for my children, runs errands, keeps tabs on other household individuals (cleaners, maintenance, etc), packs for our trips and keeps my house stocked. She is essentially a “household manager”. When my baby was nursing, she would bring him to me at every feeding interval. I frequently call her and ask “Do you know where that black shirt with the lace thing on the bottom and shoulder straps is?” She always knows where it is, and where my car keys are (I can never find them) — it is amazing.
Public Relations. PR makes you look good. This is my “hair and makeup” equivalent team team. I’m not going to lie, I have definitely requested our graphic designer to do some photo touch ups…(maybe I AM a diva!). My PR team documents our efforts — they make videos, do press releases, and run social campaigns in order to control the message….and they make sure we look flawless in the process.
Business Strategists. They are the people that work alongside you “on” the company instead of “in” the company. They increase efficiency and organization in processes that are necessary to make the company successful. They advise you and do the work to implement a process. It is beyond helpful having other people that are looking at the big scope with you and can prompt the next step.
Marketing Director. Marketing is simple in concept — They direct attention to your business so that it can in turn generate money. Turns out that implementation is not as simple. It is quite challenging to turn the day-to-day into an effective brand that you can promote to others. It takes a skilled team to do it the way you want it to be done. Thus, the Marketing Director has to be aligned with your vision and “brand” so that they can insure the implementation reflects all the right things. The Marketing Director can be the loud voice needed to self-promote your daily operations.
HR Director. They manage your liability. HR is your legal right arm and keeps the business “clean”. They clean up messes and then set up processes to make sure that mess never happens again. They are the gatekeepers to the drama and contain it so everyone else can keep their eye on the prize. Unemployment? Workers Comp? Recruitment? Insurance Policies? Career Paths? They do all the things.
Finance Director. They are the money hoarders. They are holders of the dollar bills and are also investigators into where the money is coming from and going to. Do you have accounts receivables woes? Your Finance Director is the one that focuses all their efforts to get the money that was earned. They do it without the emotion you will inherently have about it as the CEO. They open the door to money with open arms and then quickly shut the door and lock it with 40 deadbolts so that it can’t flood back out.
Business Directors. If the business world was a group of wild street performers, the Business Directors would be the Star Plate Spinners. They manage all the things and keep them moving. They spin the workforce plates and the talent management plates and the business contracts plates. They slow some plates down and speed other ones up. They control which plates get to spin and which ones need a break. Sometimes they do it while juggling fire sticks. Sometimes they do it while standing in pyramid formation. They correct issues quickly to keep the plates spinning and glue the plates back together if they break. They make it look good — they are your rare unicorns. They are the cream of the crop and set the standard for everyone else.
My Husband. I was just reading this blog to him and he told me that he better be included in the entourage list. lol. Of course! He is my sounding board, co decision-maker and my best friend. He hears all the drama, supports my decisions and reminds me that all is ok. He also is the primary caretaker of our family while also running a business himself. He cooks all my meals, prepares the school lunches, and gets the kids dressed in the morning. He also rubs my feet every night. xoxo
What I have learned about an effective entourage is that they are not “followers” — They are actually the leaders that manage the CEO.
My Finance Director will tell me “Yes, that loan has to be listed on your balance sheet, whether you want it to be or not”, just as my Marketing Director tells me not to respond to negative reviews online (I don’t always follow this piece of advice though…). The Business Directors tell you what needs to change to spin plates effectively while the HR Director tells you when a new benefit is necessary to retain staff. Your Personal Assistant will tell you why the nap times for your children are changing and your Executive Assistant will text you at 8pm to remind you to sign a document. Your Strategists will tell you when to pivot and your Husband will tell you it’s time to eat so you don’t get “hAngry”. Your PR team will remind you of your talking points before you get on stage and won’t judge you when you ask for your stomach area to be smoothed out in a picture. (I’ve had three kids….it happens). They all influence and direct the company to be the best it can be.
A leader’s entourage “manages up”…. and I’m ok with that. Everyone needs a little supervision sometimes.
Sometimes they are just your work friends and your confidants. They “see” all the things and “hear” all the things and they talk you through it. They may even watch you cry…and that is a good thing. Their perspective is usually right as they aren’t always in the line of fire and can see all the pieces more clearly… and they do it while having your back.
How do I do it all?
Truth: My entourage “does it all”… I just provide some occasional guidance and redirection on our path we walk together. And…..A little photo shop never hurts either. :)
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