Moving from Player to Coach

Every startup founder knows how hard it can be during the early days. At that time, the CEO is responsible for doing all of the hard work and the heavy lifting. After all, there aren’t many people involved, and since the CEO is usually the one with the vision for the country, it’s on them to do most of the work.

However, as a startup grows and more people are hired, the role of a CEO changes. More times than not, this transition is a hard one for the CEO. They aren’t doing all of the work and making all of the little decisions that dictate the direction of the company.

The transition is a lot like going from being a player to being a coach. Players are on the field doing most of the work. Meanwhile, the CEO is on the sidelines, giving instructions and evaluating the performance of the players. Needless to say, these are two different roles, which is why this transition can be so hard.

The most important thing for CEOs to do is not become a backseat driver for employees. If you feel the need to monitor and micro-manage someone at all times, it’s a sign that person isn’t right for the job. Odds are you hired the wrong person if you feel compelled to question everything they do.

If you question everything they do, you might as well do the job yourself. Instead, simply give them directions on what to do. Tell them what you need and then trust them to get it done. This is the type of thing a good coach does.

For example, if you hire someone to generate leads, let them go and do that and then evaluate them on how well they have generated leads. There is no need to second guess every move they make. Just evaluate whether they’ve generated enough leads. 

It’s no longer the CEO’s job to generate leads. Instead, the CEO has to play the role of a coach. Let the person you hired handle that job. Give that person your expectations and then let them play. 

Of course, a good coach will offer some advice and motivation from time to time. But for the most part, a CEO has to transition to life on the sidelines. Rather than doing everything yourself, you just watch and evaluate the performance of others. CEOs that can make this transition will be well-positioned to lead their startups through the midstage.