NBS #10: The One Mistake Every Expert Makes In Their Business

For the last several years, I’ve helped experts monetize their expertise outside of traditional employment.

During this time, I’ve learned the one mistake every expert makes in their business, that affect our ability to lead a business effectively.

The one mistake every expert makes in their business: our obsession with being busy.

Busy-ness refers to the idea that, unless we’re busy, we’re not making an impact.

I used to suffer from busy-ness.

So do every expert who hires me. And almost every one I’ve met in my career. It seems to be installed in our subconscious.

Think about it…

When you are starting out in your field, you often do so in a “junior” position being mentored by someone else with more experience. And while doing so, being busy with something –anything– is the baseline expectation. If not, you are slacking.

A few years later you became the expert mentoring a new grad. And suddenly you find yourself keeping tabs on non-busy juniors… Yeah, we know you did.

So at the end of the day, it only makes sense you strive to stay busy when running your own business!

But busy-ness makes you the bottleneck.

When you obsess about being busy, you can’t just let others do their job.

You constantly feel the urge to know what people are working on. And if that wasn’t enough, you want to give them feedback on it. On every step of the way.

Before long everyone is checking in for you to review and approve their work.

And instead of leading your team forward, you’re stuck solving everyone’s problems.

How can you tell if you suffer from busy-ness?

Do you say things like: “I’m super busy.” Or “I wish I could x but I just don’t have time for anything”. Or the one that confirms the diagnosis: “I feel like I’m doing everyone’s job here.”

It feels that way because you are doing everyone’s job…

The good news is you, and you alone, have the power to change this moving forward.

The not so great news is it will take time. It’s more complicated than simply deciding you’ll delegate. You’ll need to be rehabilitated. But it’s doable.

If you just read this essay thinking “he’s talking about me!”, I can help.

Book a call or get in touch with any pressing questions. I’ll address them in future editions.

That’s it!

As always, thanks for reading.

Do you now see how being constantly “busy” is not doing you –or your business– any favors? Drop me a DM on Twitter or LinkedIn and let me know – I’d love to hear from you!

See you next Saturday,

🤟🏻 Dr E