349. Our Former COO Is Back w/ BTS Tea + Talking Leadership, Transitions & Hiring Your Dream Team
Jan 23, 2024
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Former COO of Bossbabe turned entrepreneur, Marissa Liesen, shares her insights on leadership, transitions, and hiring your dream team. She discusses her time at Bossbabe, why she left, and how she kept the team culture thriving during her transition. Marissa also gives advice on honing management skills, hiring a right-hand, and overcoming common obstacles in scaling a business.
Play to your strengths and create a team that supports your unique abilities for successful scaling.
Build a high-performing team by hiring individuals who excel in areas outside your core expertise and fostering a culture of trust and accountability.
Strategic thinking and streamlined systems are crucial for breaking free from constraints and achieving scalable growth in business.
Deep dives
Focus on Your Unique Abilities for Business Scaling
One of the main insights from the podcast episode is the importance of focusing on your unique abilities when it comes to scaling a business. The host discusses how many entrepreneurs get caught in a hamster wheel and struggle to scale because they are not leveraging their strengths effectively. By identifying your areas of expertise and delegating tasks that are outside of your skill set, you can streamline your business and achieve more with less effort. This includes being selective in the hiring process, ensuring that the team members you bring on complement your strengths and fill in your blind spots. Overall, the key takeaway is to play to your strengths and create a team and systems that support your unique abilities for successful scaling.
Building a High-Performing Team
Another important topic discussed in the podcast is building a high-performing team. The speaker emphasizes the significance of hiring the right people and fostering a culture of trust and accountability. While it is common for entrepreneurs to struggle with finding employees who perform at the same level they would, the episode suggests reframing the approach. Instead of expecting others to do tasks exactly like the business owner, the focus should be on hiring individuals who excel in areas that are outside the core expertise of the entrepreneur. By aligning roles and responsibilities with individual strengths, and providing clear expectations and feedback, a high-performing team can be built. This allows the business owner to leverage their unique abilities and achieve scalable growth.
Embrace Strategic Thinking and Streamlined Systems
The podcast highlights the importance of strategic thinking and streamlined systems for business growth. It emphasizes the need for entrepreneurs to have a clear business and revenue strategy in place to avoid being stuck in a hamster wheel. By developing a revenue model that allows for scaling without excessive effort, entrepreneurs can make significant progress. Additionally, the episode emphasizes the role of efficient systems and processes in maximizing productivity and reducing time spent on low-leverage activities. By automating or delegating tasks that can be handled by others, entrepreneurs can focus on high-leverage activities that drive growth and progress. Ultimately, strategic thinking and streamlined systems play a crucial role in breaking free from constraints and scaling a business successfully.
Maintaining Culture During Transitions
The podcast episode discusses the challenges of maintaining a positive culture during times of transition, specifically the transition of going from two founders to one founder in a business. The speaker highlights the impact that such a change can have on the team and emphasizes the importance of open communication and reassurance. By checking in frequently with the team, providing an open forum for questions, and offering reassurance, the speaker was able to minimize the stress felt by the team and keep the culture positive. The main takeaway is that effective communication and transparency are key to navigating challenging times and preserving a positive work culture.
Finding the Right Hand Person
In this portion of the podcast, the discussion focuses on the importance of finding the right person to serve as a trusted right-hand individual in a business. The speaker emphasizes the need for loyalty, trustworthiness, and a track record of managing teams and creating a positive culture. Additionally, the speaker highlights the importance of the energy and intuition that comes into play when hiring for this role. Asking questions about their team management experience, their approach to culture, and their mindset towards problem-solving can provide valuable insights during the interview process. The key message is that finding the right person for this role requires considering both their professional abilities and their compatibility with the founder's vision and working style.
We’re going behind the scenes with Bossbabe’s former COO, Marissa Liesen. This powerhouse businesswoman turned entrepreneur is dropping her hottest tips + tea. We dive into her time at Bossbabe why she left to start her journey flying solo, + how she navigated the transition out all while, keeping our team culture thriving. Tune in to get our specific advice for honing your management skills, hiring a right-hand, and reaching that next level of success.
HIGHLIGHTS
The biggest lessons Marissa learned during her time as COO at Bossbabe + why she decided to leave.
How to hone your management skills as a leader with open communication and feedback.
How Marissa kept the team culture stable while navigating her transition out.
What to look for when hiring your right-hand + calling out the red flags to be wary of.
The most common causes that hold people back from scaling further.
RESOURCES + LINKS
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