Your business is the ship, and you are the captain.

When it was a small ship, you could do it all: maintain it, plot the course, steer it, and even take a few people along. You were happy just to be sailing, a solo captain of your own vessel.

When the ship got a little bigger, you could still do it all – but barely. There were more people on board, a larger ship to maintain, a small crew, and longer travels. You were happy but stretched thin.

Your business is a ship. Plot its course.

Soon – or maybe already – your ship will be too big for a solo captain. A solo captain of a larger ship can no longer manage bookings, keep the growing crew happy, clean the deck, plot the course, and everything else all by himself.

That’s why ships have crews. Yes, the captain knows how to clean the deck, manage bookings, do laundry, cook for a crew, raise a mast, and so on. But knowing how to do something doesn’t mean you should spend all of your time doing it.

A true captain is there to read the charts and plot the best course. She is there to lead, but not order. He is there to teach the crew from his experience and skill. She is there to steer the ship to its successful destination.

Because a ship without a true captain is a ship that is off-course.

photo credit: Double–M via photopin cc