If you don’t run your own life, somebody else will. – John Atkinson
Working the 9 to 5 as the CEO of Your Company…
Imagine for a moment waking up tomorrow morning as the CEO of your own company. No longer are you a regular employee. You’re instead the top dog — the head of the company who’s driven by a passionate vision and purpose.
You are, of course, still working your regular 9 to 5 job, but there’s nothing regular about what you’re doing. You’re after all the CEO of ME Inc.
Yes, this might seem a little far-fetched, but play along with me for a moment.
Instead of viewing yourself as a regular employee who follows somebody else’s rules and standards. Imagine yourself as the person who creates his/her own rules and standards.
Take a moment to name yourself as the CEO of ME Inc. You’re the CEO of your brand, of your life, and of your own company. You are in other words a leader and entrepreneur who runs his/her life holistically, professionally, and with a sense of purpose.
You are not defined by the titles you are given at work, and you are certainly not confined to your job description. You are instead in full control of your personal brand, life, and destiny.
To become the CEO of ME Inc., you must first get very clear. You must get very clear about what it is you want and what your personal brand is all about. You must understand what success looks like and what that truly means to you. Moreover, you must figure out what exactly you’re selling and how you will manage the day-to-day operations of your company. Ask yourself:
What’s my definition of success?
What exactly does success look and feel like?
What do I want to be known for?
What if my life was my company?
How would I run and manage my company?
What’s my main product and/or service on offer?
What’s my company logo and brand positioning?
Now, of course, I don’t mean that you’re actually the CEO of your boss’s company. You’re not suddenly going to take over the operations, direction, and vision of the company you work for. All these things are probably out of your hands. However, what’s not out of your hands is YOU.
Yes, you’re working for somebody else, but you’re not an employee. Yes, officially on paper you are viewed as an employee. However, that’s not how you see yourself.
Your life is yours to own and control. You can either haphazardly move through life and succumb to the winds of change and fortune. You can even be a regular employee who is happy to work the 9 to 5 — if you so choose. Or you can take charge and live with purpose, with a clear vision, and with a deep-seated desire to make an impact. You can choose to be the CEO of your life — of your own company.
Being the CEO of ME Inc. is all about maintaining peak performance across all your departments (areas of your life). It’s about running your life as you would a company.
It’s about maintaining a level of professionalism and holding yourself to a particular set of standards and expectations that are consistent with the brand image you want to project.
Being the CEO of ME Inc. is also about upholding certain values and principles that are consistent with how you desire to live your life. It’s about keeping your word and building a reputation that lasts a lifetime.
As the CEO of your company, you’re, of course, in charge of building your brand around your core product and service offerings. Your core product is YOU, and your core service is your expertise. This is all about the skills, knowledge, and experience you bring into the work environment.
Let’s now play around with the idea that you’re the CEO of ME Inc. and explore how we can apply this to help move your career forward.
Operating as the CEO Of ME Inc.
As the CEO of ME Inc., you need to figure out how you will run your company. Yes, you’ll still officially be working as an employee, but you should no longer see yourself as an employee. You are the CEO of ME Inc., and therefore must bring a different type of mindset into your workday.
You’re no longer making decisions based on an employee’s mentality, you are instead going to make decisions based on how a CEO would run their company. However, to run your company as a CEO, you will need to get very clear about several things. More specifically, you will need to start managing your life as a CEO manages the day-to-day operations of their company.
It’s important to note that you are in fact more than just the CEO. You are also the COO, the CFO, the Managing Director, and the Administrator. You are also part of the marketing department, in charge of public relations, part of finance and accounting, and even working for the research and development team.
As the CEO of ME Inc., you are everything to your company. Without you, nothing can function. Without you, there is no company — only a disgruntled employee who wishes they owned their own company. 🙁
So, with that said, let’s explore how you can begin running your life as the CEO of ME Inc.
Conducting Company Performance Reviews
To begin with, let’s assess where things are at with ME Inc. In other words, let’s evaluate the performance of the company and figure out whether or not things are moving in the desired direction. Ask yourself:
How am I performing as the CEO of ME Inc.?
What standards of performance do I have?
Am I meeting these standards of performance?
Where and how could I improve?
In general, how do I feel that my company is performing?
Is it a market leader or struggling to survive?
Is it growing annually or falling apart?
Is the share price rising or falling?
Where do things need to be improved?
One of the key questions here pertains to standards of performance. What are your standards of performance? What expectations do you have of yourself under various work conditions? What standards do you endeavor to uphold and abide by?
Keep in mind that these are not standards that are expected of you by your employer. These are standards of performance that you must outline and then abide by. They are obligations you make to yourself that build your brand and reputation as the CEO of ME Inc.
If you desire to run a successful company, then you must have high standards of performance. You must commit yourself to excellence and to the service of others. By “others” I mean your employer in the real world and all the people who rely and depend on you each day.
As an employee, you might give a halfhearted effort. You do what is expected and no more. But, now as the CEO of ME Inc., you have your own standards of performance and therefore give more of yourself than what is potentially expected while in the service of others.
Your so-called “employer” is a customer of yours. You’ve chosen to work for them — to be of service to them. And it is now your responsibility to serve them to the highest of standards that can help build your brand and the reputation of your company. But, of course, if you’re not satisfied with the compensation you are receiving from your major customer, then you have an obligation to your company and to your shareholders to ask for more money or to find and serve somebody else.
As the CEO of ME Inc., it’s paramount that you conduct these kinds of performance reviews at least once per month. They will help you to determine your next steps moving forward to help you raise the stakes and take your company to the next level.
Finding Your Company’s Purpose and Direction
Now that you have a clear understanding of where things are at let’s explore the direction you would like to move forward. Specifically, let’s take a look at your purpose and the vision for your company. Ask yourself:
What is my overriding vision for my company?
What’s the company’s mission statement?
What is the driving purpose of my life?
How do I envision living my life over the next 5 to 10 years?
What key values and principles are driving me forward?
Every Fortune 500 company has a vision. It has a purpose that drives it forward each and every day. You’re, of course, probably not the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re running a company.
You’re the CEO of ME Inc., and for the company to succeed, it must have a vision that drives it forward into the future. And who better to build and define that vision than the CEO?
It’s in your hands to crystallize this vision. It’s nobody’s responsibility but yours.
Clarifying Company Goals and Objectives
Every successful company has a set of goals, targets, and objectives that drive them forward each day, week, month and year.
The goals you set here, must, however, be aligned with the company’s vision, mission, and purpose. Only in this way will there be congruence between your words, deeds, and actions. Ask yourself:
What goals would I like my company to achieve over the next year?
Are these goals aligned with my company’s vision, mission and purpose?
How could I break these goals down into quarters, months and weeks?
What things will I need to focus on and work through each day to reach the goals I have set for the next year?
What long-term goals do I have for my company?
What goals do I have 5 to 10 years into the future?
How will I start bringing these goals to fruition?
What habits and routines must I develop to begin working on these goals?
Your company is your life. Therefore, the goals you have for your life, are also the goals you have for your company. They are one and the same thing.
If you want your life to improve, then you must commit yourself to bringing these goals to fruition. You must commit to your shareholders (family members who depend on you) that you have what it takes to hit key targets that will move your company forward.
Finally, remember that if you’re serious about achieving your goals (as every CEO should be) then be sure to write down your goals on paper. Then display them in a prominent place where you can reference them each day. This will keep you focused and on target.
Defining Your Company’s Culture
A company’s culture is the personality and character of a company. It’s the lifeblood and the sustenance that keeps the company healthy and vibrant. It includes the work environment, the mission statement, shared values, ethics, expectations, and goals.
As the CEO of ME Inc., the culture of the company is entirely dependent on you. In fact, it is you. The culture of the company is at its core YOU. More specifically, it’s your values, beliefs, principles, traits, standards, goals, and expectations.
Given this, consider for a moment how you are as a person. Consider how you handle various situations, how you respond to adversity, how you give of yourself to others, and how you conduct business. Then ask yourself:
What are my core values?
Are these values aligned with my company’s vision?
What core principles do I live by?
Do these principle serve me well as the CEO of ME Inc.?
What beliefs do I have?
Are these beliefs helpful or hurtful?
What beliefs must I potentially let go of that could prevent me from reaching my goals?
What new beliefs could I potentially adopt that will be of value in the pursuit of my goals?
Having answered these questions, take a moment to reflect on who you are at your core. Think about whether you are worthy of being the CEO of ME Inc.
Given the goals that you have set for your company, are you the right person for the job? Are you in the right frame-of-mind to pursue these goals?
If for any reason you’re not quite there yet, then that’s okay. You may need to do a little more work on yourself to develop the mindset required to successfully lead your company. Ask yourself:
Where must I work on myself to help me become a better CEO?
How will I work on these areas? What specifically must I do?
Keep in mind that the culture of your company will evolve over time. As you gain more experience, and as you develop your knowledge and skills, you will change, and your company’s culture will change alongside you. It’s therefore okay not to be in an ideal place mentally at the moment. It’s all work in progress and something we will explore in further detail below.
Developing Your Company’s Systems and Processes
Every successful company is built upon a bedrock of systems and processes. These systems and processes help streamline the workflow and allow each department to function more effectively and efficiently.
As the CEO of ME Inc., you too must develop a range of systems and processes that will boost your productivity and increase your effectiveness and efficiency. This sounds like a lot of work, but it’s actually easier than you might imagine.
Systems and processes come in the form of habits and routines. In other words, you must develop very clear habits and establish essential routines or rituals that will help you work more effectively and efficiently throughout the day.
However, before you outline the specific habits and routines you might want to establish, let’s assess where things are at right now. Ask yourself:
What key habits and routines do I have that support my company’s goals?
Does my schedule keep me productive and focused?
Am I reliable, dependable and trustworthy?
How do I handle adversity and problems?
How do I manage my finances?
How do I manage my time and resources?
How do I go about making critical decisions?
How does all this impact my performance levels?
Everything you do must be aligned with your company’s goals. You are either moving closer toward achieving those goals, or you’re pulling yourself away in the opposite direction.
Given this, establishing the right habits and routines is absolutely paramount as it will help you stay focused and productive. Furthermore, you need to streamline how you make decisions, how you manage your finances, how you handle problems and adversity, etc.
All this might sound a little over the top, but every Fortune 500 company has contingency plans in place. When something goes wrong, they have systems and processes in place for handling these kinds of scenarios. Moreover, they have checklists or guidelines in place for making critical decisions and for managing their time, finances, and resources.
As the CEO of ME Inc., you need to commit yourself to establishing these systems and processes. You need to commit yourself to streamlining how you work and how you manage critical resources. Ask yourself:
What habits and routines must I establish that will help me accomplish my company’s goals and objectives?
How will I manage my time, my finances, and my resources? What systems, checklists and processes must I put in place?
How will I handle adversity and problems? What contingency plans must I set in place?
How will I make critical decisions that affect my future? What set of criteria will I use for this purpose?
In the end, the systems and processes you put in place will help you to manage your life and company far more effectively. You will become more reliable, dependable, and trustworthy because you have systems and processes (habits, routines, and rituals) in place that you can rely upon to help you work more efficiently and effectively.
Examining Your Company’s Departments
Large companies are typically divided up into departments. You might, for instance, have sales and marketing, public relations, finance and accounting, research and development, and the human resources department.
Each department performs a particular function. And people who work within that department specialize in very niche areas. They are for instance very knowledgeable, skilled and experienced in very specific areas that help that department perform at the highest level.
While each department functions independently from other departments, all departments actually work together to achieve the company’s goals and objectives. So, even though each department has its own agenda and performance targets, they also collaborate to move the entire company forward.
As the CEO of ME Inc., it’s your responsibility to oversee the performance of all your departments to ensure that they are performing at the highest level in the direction of the company’s primary goals and objectives.
Now, of course, how you structure your departments is a little different to how a large corporation structures their departments, however, there are some similarities. Here is a quick breakdown.
The Sales and Marketing Department: This department handles your career prospects. This is where you sell yourself and your skills to potential employers. This is also about the strength of your negotiation skills and your ability to get fair value for your time and for the service you provide. In essence, it’s about effectively managing your career path to help you make the most of your career prospects.
How is the sales and marketing department performing?
What are the key goals and objectives of this department?
Am I investing enough time and resources into this department?
Where could I improve things?
How could I raise the stakes and get this department performing at a higher level?
The Public Relations Department: This department is all about building relationships. It’s mainly about strengthening existing relationships that can help improve your career prospects. But at the same time, it’s also about developing new connections that might provide you with unique opportunities moving forward. Remember though that this isn’t just about nurturing your professional relationships. It’s also about nurturing your personal and romantic relationships. These people are after all the company’s biggest shareholders. 🙂
How is the public relations department performing?
What are the key goals and objectives of this department?
Am I investing enough time and resources into this department?
Where could I improve things?
How could I raise the stakes and get this department performing at a higher level?
The Finance and Accounting Department: This department is in charge of all your finances. If you’re struggling with debt or just can’t seem to stay on budget, then this department is responsible. You must put the appropriate systems and processes in place that will help you to manage your finances more effectively. The objective is to secure your long-term financial future. You must, therefore, set specific rules in place that will help you make sound financial decisions.
How is the finance and accounting department performing?
What are the key goals and objectives of this department?
Am I investing enough time and resources into this department?
Where could I improve things?
How could I raise the stakes and get this department performing at a higher level?
The Research and Development Department: This department is responsible for your professional/personal growth and development. Its objective is to help you develop the right kind of skills and to acquire critical knowledge and experience to help move your career forward. This is in essence all about committing yourself to lifelong learning. It’s about spending time working on yourself to enhance the value you are able to provide while in the service of others.
How is the research and development department performing?
What are the key goals and objectives of this department?
Am I investing enough time and resources into this department?
Where could I improve things?
How could I raise the stakes and get this department performing at a higher level?
The Human Resources Department: This department is all about people. Specifically, it’s about one person… YOU! The human resources department is responsible for looking after your health and well-being. When you’re healthy, feeling energetic, and in a positive state-of-mind, all the other departments function more effectively and efficiently. With this in mind, the human resources department is in charge of your diet and nutrition plan, exercise regimen, and is also responsible for ensuring you get enough periods of rest and recuperation.
How is the human resources department performing?
What are the key goals and objectives of this department?
Am I investing enough time and resources into this department?
Where could I improve things?
How could I raise the stakes and get this department performing at a higher level?
So there you have it. Those are the five major departments that you must spend time nurturing and cultivating. When all five departments are synchronized and working together, they will help you function at a higher level. Life will become much easier and more effortless as you pursue your major goals and objectives.
Conducting a SWOT Analysis
To run a successful company and hit key targets and milestones, you need to understand four key metrics known as a SWOT Analysis.
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Opportunities
- Threats
First, you must know your strengths and then figure out how to take full advantage of them. Secondly, you need to understand your weaknesses and how to potentially work through and/or minimize them. Thirdly, you need to understand how to capitalize on opportunities that present themselves as you work toward your goals. And finally, you need to become aware of the threats that may hinder your progress.
Taking Advantage of Your Strengths
Your strengths are at the core of what you’re good at. These are your skills, knowledge, resources, and assets that you have at your disposal. These are the things that will help move your life and your company forward.
Working to your strengths is often the quickest way to make progress. However, before that becomes possible, you must first understand what those key strengths are. Ask yourself:
What does my company do well?
Where does it add most value?
How does my company distinguish itself from others?
What’s my company’s expertise?
When answering these questions, take into consideration all the knowledge and skills you have acquired over a lifetime. In combination, how are you now able to use that knowledge and those skills to your advantage? How can you use your strengths to help you accomplish your goals? Furthermore, how will you position and sell your company (yourself) to others?
Your strengths effectively become your company’s expertise. And it’s precisely this expertise that distinguishes you from others. Use it to position yourself accordingly within the marketplace when selling your products and services as the CEO of ME Inc.
Working Through Your Weaknesses
Your weaknesses are your areas for improvement. They are things you are constantly working on and developing.
These are effectively areas you need to excel at to achieve your goals. For instance, you might have a lack of knowledge in a particular area, or just maybe you lack certain skills or resources that could help you achieve your goal. Whatever that may be for you, it’s important that you address these areas and set in motion an action plan that will help you work through your weaknesses. Ask yourself:
Where is my company lacking in knowledge?
What skills and resources are missing?
Where does it need an overhaul?
Where is it failing in terms of efficiency?
One way to work through this is to consider the goals you want to achieve. Now ask yourself, where are you lacking? What are you missing that could potentially help you to accomplish these goals? These are precisely the areas that you need to work and improve upon. They are the areas that will be instrumental to your ongoing success as the CEO of ME Inc.
Making the Most of Opportunities
You’ve probably heard the saying that opportunities are abound. In other words, opportunities are everywhere. We just need to learn how to spot and take advantage of them.
There is never a lack of opportunity for the resourceful mind. However, the sad truth is that most people focus on problems more so than on opportunities, and therefore never truly make the most of their circumstances.
As the CEO of ME Inc., you are responsible for moving your company forward. You are responsible for taking chances that will help propel your company down new and exciting paths. This, of course, involves some risk and understanding of what an opportunity looks like. Ask yourself:
What opportunities are present for expansion and growth?
What things could the company take advantage of?
What areas of focus would make the most difference?
What joint venture opportunities could I take advantage of?
Every person you speak to, every new skill you acquire, every ounce of knowledge you gain, and every new circumstance you face presents some form of opportunity that you can take advantage of to move your company forward. You must, however, be very clear about the goals you want to achieve, and then choose to take advantage of opportunities that will help bring those goals to fruition.
Overcoming Threats
Threats are the problems, obstacles, challenges, and setbacks you face along your journey toward your goals. Understanding the different types of threats you could potentially face will give you the time you need to put in place appropriate contingency plans.
Consider for a moment the following questions:
What potential challenges could the company face?
How will the company respond to these threats?
Who or what specifically is a threat?
What’s the competition doing? How could this be problematic?
Your competition is anyone and everyone who could potentially steal your job and opportunities away. If they’re working hard behind the scenes improving their knowledge and skills, while you’re laying around watching television and socializing, then you potentially have a big problem on your hands. You could wake up tomorrow to discover that they’ve stolen your job or got that pay rise you so desperately wanted.
Threats are everywhere. They come in the form of other people, environmental factors, your lack of knowledge and/or experience, and the various problems you might face in your day-to-day undertakings.
Given this, it’s absolutely paramount that you identify these threats and then develop a set of contingency plans to overcome them. Only in this way will you stay one step ahead of your competition as you work toward your goals as the CEO of ME Inc.
Concluding Thoughts
Being the CEO of ME Inc. is no walk in the park. It’s a tough gig that requires a high level of commitment and dedication.
As a CEO you’re no longer an employee who just goes through the motions working the 9 to 5. You are instead responsible for moving the company forward, for ensuring all departments are functioning at optimal levels, for maintaining efficient work habits and routines, and for adapting to the uncertainties that life throws your way.
As the CEO you are the lifeblood of your company. Its health and vitality are completely in your hands. You and you alone are responsible for its success. Yes, you might “officially” work for an employer in the real world, but that doesn’t change anything. We’re all employed on some level. Even the small business owner is employed to the service of his/her customers.
In the same way, you are employed to the service of the people you work for. However, as the CEO of ME Inc., this is a choice you have made. And if things aren’t working out, then you can choose to do something else to expand your horizons and opportunities.
The key is to never settle. Great companies are always growing and expanding. Think about Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and Apple. They are continually improving their systems and processes and venturing down new and exciting paths. And in the end, it’s all about that big picture. It’s about achieving those big goals and making a difference.
You can also make a difference and transform how you live your life, as long as you stay committed to fulfilling your responsibilities as the CEO of ME Inc.
Time to Assimilate these Concepts
Did you gain value from this article? Is it important that you know and understand this topic? Would you like to optimize how you think about this topic? Would you like a method for applying these ideas to your life?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then I’m confident you will gain tremendous value from using the accompanying IQ Matrix for coaching or self-coaching purposes. This mind map provides you with a quick visual overview of the article you just read. The branches, interlinking ideas, and images model how the brain thinks and processes information. It’s kind of like implanting a thought into your brain – an upgrade of sorts that optimizes how you think about these concepts and ideas. 🙂
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Gain More Knowledge…
Here are some additional links and resources that will help you learn more about this topic:
- 5 Ways to Become the CEO of Your Own Brand @ CBS News
- 7 Things You Can Do to Build an Awesome Personal Brand @ Forbes
- 8 Steps to Building a Powerful Personal Brand that will Change Your Life @ Inc.
- 8 Tips for Building Your Personal Brand @ Entrepreneur
- 10 Ways to Build Your Personal Brand (and why you should) @ Skill Crush
- The Brand Called YOU @ Fast Company
- The Complete Guide to Building Your Personal Brand @ Quick Sprout
- Tips on Creating and Growing Your Personal Brand @ The Balance
