Ever been in a situation where you’ve felt like a third wheel?

I’ve just returned from another long trip to Asia. Three weeks of travel, meetings, networks and events in Indonesia and China. As always, getting out into the world and meeting the people behind the phone calls, emails and orders is always a great experience. 

But this time it was a little different. I wasn’t alone – My son and colleague Connor came with me. Now, I’ve been doing these trips for several decades now. But almost always alone. So having help on hand was a little unusual for me. The first day, we had a plan. Connor would take the morning 121s, while I got some work done in the background. Then I’d join him in the afternoons to do the meetings together. And it all worked perfectly… until the afternoon came. 

You see, Connor had been doing an excellent job all morning. He’s been in the business for over a decade now and he really knows his stuff. So when I joined in with the 121 sessions something quite quickly became very clear – there were too many chefs in the kitchen. He didn’t need me there to hold his hand or take the lead in the meetings. In fact, I was pretty redundant. So we changed tact – Connor continued on with his 121s and I took to the room, mingling, meeting up with some old buddies and talking to random people (as I do). 

It’s every business owner’s dream isn’t it? To get to the point when you’re no longer needed? But to be honest, I felt a little awkward. A bit unsure of what to do with myself. Yes, removing ourselves from the “day-to-day doing” in the business is the goal, but when you find you’re no longer needed for something that has always been your “thing” it can feel a little strange. Connor did a grand job, handling most of the meetings and only pulling me in to assist on the real tricky stuff when language barriers and complicated circumstances kicked in. 

I guess that’s part of the evolution in business? As the business grows and develops, your role as leader will grow and develop too. And part of that means letting go of the things we “think” we are, and becoming what the business now needs instead. 

So what’s the evolution in your business right now?

How is your role growing and changing? Have you felt a little bit “redundant” too? I’d love to hear your stories… ……