Businesses grow to different levels, each with its unique transition points. A startup entrepreneurial business is vastly different from a third-generation large-scale corporation, for example. What works in one realm will not work in the other, but the levels do build upon one another.

Addition and Subtraction

YOU can only go so far.

Entrepreneurial leaders quickly learn there are only so many hours in a day, and so much energy they can expend. And, so, they add on someone to help with tasks in the business. This allows the business owner to focus more on leadership and management, while letting go of some of the administrative tasks.

This is a necessary addition and subtraction that must occur in order to grow. Adding on customers and lines of business may mean letting go of others. Adding on implementers means letting go of some of the hands-on day-to-day work of the business leader.

But there comes a point in any viable business where addition and subtraction no longer add up to success.

Multiplication and Division

At this point of business growth, the owner will realize they no longer have time to train and manage their implementers, and thus emerges a new need – the need for multiplication and division.

This is where the owner begins to wear the singular hat of leadership and delegates everything else to the management team and implementers. As such, the leader’s responsibility is now to multiply himself or herself in the form of management.

It requires a sharing of culture, mindset, vision, and goals. Communication is key at this level. Done well, the leader has essentially replicated themselves multiple times across the organization, developing other leaders who can think for themselves to resolve issues and create plans, while also reflecting the true vision and mission of the company.

This also requires division. It means the business must be segmented with these key leaders in a management role. It means these divisions must operate as a unit, yet collectively operate as a whole organization.

This division is why the leader must first multiply himself or herself.

The Bottom Line

Addition and subtraction only go so far in business. There is a limit.  But multiplication and division have atomic growth potential.

Where are you in business?

1. Are you a single entrepreneur just getting started?
2. Are you an entrepreneur with a team, adding and subtracting?
3. Are you a high growth organization, multiplying and dividing?

You’ll find a myriad of resources available here for your current level of business – and for your growth into those next levels.

As the CEO of Strength Leader Development, Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after international executive mentor, coach, trainer, and speaker. Deb is well versed in global business operations and helps business leaders and their teams to discover and leverage their strengths, so they can create highly collaborative teams that deliver great results. With a refreshingly direct style, and using the Maxwell Method, Deb helps leaders and teams to deliver profitable results. Connect with Deb to learn more about her mentorship and coaching programs to equip you with advanced strategies to elevate your results.