I have been reading the book The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber for the second time. In this book he discusses three ways individuals approach running their business. I would suggest they are three hats that people wear. Each hat is necessary, but some leaders struggle wearing one of these hats enough.
Allow me to share my version of these three hats based on Gerber’s thinking.
Technician
Gerber discusses this as the stage where the technical expert realizes they excel at something and decide to go out on their own. This is the entrepreneurial experience. Within a larger organization this could be the individual contributor who now is in management. At home this is the parent of their first child.
All three of these individuals are an expert in something. A skill, a specific role, or as a parent in knowing their life. The technician is great at the work and enjoys doing the work. For example, a great cookie maker opens a cookie shop and begins to realize they own a job. They are making all the cookies and running the business.
Manager
I am going to drift a little from Gerber’s definition of a manager. According to Gerber the manager brings planning, order, and predictability. Each of us fulfills a manager role. In some area of work or home we plan and turn chaos into order. I would suggest the manager in us fights for structure and control. 
Management is essential to create systems and processes to keep moving the business, team, or family forward. This is the area is where people get stuck. I have heard leaders in organizations say they are “in the weeds” too much. The overwhelming attention to details of the daily business activity creates a situation where the leader does all the work, the business owner owns a job, or becoming a hovering parent.
Leader
Gerber describes this level as the Entrepreneur. I am calling this the leader. This is the area many business owners fail to create time for. The business owner works on the business instead of or while working in the business. I will not go into detail on this as Gerber explains this well.
For the leader in an organization, this is when he or she has empowered and equipped the team well. As the team is equipped the leader is free to think into growing that area of the business and pursuing new initiatives for the team. For the parent, this is taking time to think of the important values for your family and what your family stands for.
The leader role requires time and initiative to think.
As you look at these three areas. Where are you spending most of your time? Have you created systems to effectively lead your team, organization, or family? Do you need help creating time to think into your business or team? Contact me for a free thirty-minute one on one thinking partner session. All three are required, but without leadership we limit our results so contact me to help you raise your leadership lid and improve your results. Lead Well.
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