Success Advice
How Thinking Big Can Be the Difference Between the Life You Have and the Life You Want

Starting small isn’t a bad thing. You have to start somewhere, and small is often the most logical way. It’s also where I focused my attention when venturing into real estate. I’d look at two- to three-unit buildings (typically apartments) in an attempt to add properties to the portfolio — and that’s just what I did.
Then, the realization hit: It takes the same amount of time to look at a two-unit place as it does to look at a 25-unit place. Still, the only hurdle was funds. If I could figure out that aspect, I could scale much faster. It would also take fewer hours on my end, which could free up time for me to work on other business opportunities.
It might sound redundant, but entrepreneurs must think about the bigger “big picture” when it comes to starting their own business. Is the goal to replace one 40-hour a week job with another? Or is it something more? Sure, you might own that job — but there are only so many hours in a day, so you limit your ability to scale when you keep your aspirations small.
“Look at things as they can be, not as they are.” – David J. Schwartz
Getting Over Yourself
I met with a contractor recently. He has a great business, a good reputation, and a solid customer base. He’s also a highly skilled tradesman when it comes to tiling. When I suggested that he might want to add other people to his team, he bristled. Even after I explained his potential to make more money (or the same money, just with fewer hours in the day) by adding someone to the team, the idea just didn’t appeal to his sensibilities.
For him, as is the case with many small business owners, sole proprietorship meant being busy: If you’re not extremely busy in your business, you’re not doing it right. You’re not successful. And understandably, it’s easy to equate more hours of work as being more productive, but that’s not the truth. Although this contractor is very successful, he has no systems in place should he want — or need — to take a step back. That’s a problem.
On the flip side, a good friend of mine got into consulting after growing tired of working 50, 60, or 70 hours a week for someone else. He decided to devote his expertise to his own business. But instead of working on his own, my friend built a team. And that team became his consulting firm.
Eventually, he was able to spend less and less time as a consultant. Sixty hours turned to 50, and 50 turned to 40. Today, he still has the same ability to pick and choose what work he takes on, but he also has other people who charge billable hours, of which he gets a percentage. He’s scaling his business. And should he want or need to take a step back, he already has systems in place to easily add more members to the team.
If you don’t think bigger and picture your end goal, consider yourself stuck. You might even find yourself driving harder than necessary just to keep the business afloat. You’re not limited to this small business you’ve carved out for yourself — you have the potential to be so much more.
I could’ve easily continued buying cheap two- to three-unit buildings that were spread out across the community. I loved it, honestly. But when I was driving all over town to collect rent from those two- to three-unit buildings, I realized no systems were in place to do something so simple for future iterations. The time I spent collecting rent could’ve been better spent buying other units — bigger units, I should add.
Taking a Bigger Leap
It’s human nature to think about ourselves, and that can be difficult to shake when you’re starting a business. In the beginning, the focus is on ensuring a job for yourself. Once that’s accomplished, resist the urge to consider your work done. The timing is right to start thinking bigger. You can start by directing your attention toward the following places:
Make a conscious decision to think big
Thinking big is a choice. You can choose to be the next Bill Gates or someone who is completely happy doing a job solo with no helping hands. If you want to grow a business into more than simply a one-person shop, adopt a bigger mindset. Get to work on developing and implementing processes for actual growth rather than maintaining the status quo.
“If you think small, your world will be small. If you think big, your world will be big.” — Paulo Coelho
Get serious about processes
Consistent processes help people think bigger. But these processes aren’t meant to add more work to your schedule; their purpose is to add people to your team and lessen your workload. You can’t grow a business if all your attention is on operations. Outsource tasks that fall into accounting, marketing, graphic design, and scheduling — these can all be handled by other people.
Stop playing the hero
Remember those people you’re adding to the team? Whether you bring on an office manager, accountant, or social media consultant, let that person do his or her job. It’s not a big deal if things diverge from your standard practices. Everyone does things differently, and that’s OK. In fact, it’s often encouraged. As long as a process is completed successfully, how a person arrives at that end point shouldn’t matter.
Thinking small is where most sole proprietors start. It’s their first venture into something entirely different, and that small step is actually a big step to take. But once you get your footing (and get into a rhythm with this new business), it’s a disservice to not at least consider what else is out there. The potential can be big.
What part of this article resonated most with you and why? Share your thoughts with us below!
Success Advice
Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)
The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)
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What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)
Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)
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The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
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