Liam's got issues: September

I love mentoring entrepreneurs, being the someone they trust to look into the hurly burly of their businesses and help them ask the right questions. Mentors are needed because it’s too easy to not see the wood for the trees, and forget why you went into the forest in the first place.

It’s too easy to prioritise the urgent over the really important, shy away from difficult calls, let costs rise, drift away from boards and colleagues. Start believing that Denial is a river in Africa.

Recent blindingly obvious advice I have meted out includes:

• Write a thank you letter by hand – stamped not franked – at least once a week to someone in your business who has excelled. Be specific about why you are impressed.
• Go through your appointment diary for the next month. Make two columns: This Is Really Adding Value and This Is Faffing About. Stop doing the latter.
• Look at your leadership team. Who is the one not getting it/not passionate/a drain on energy? Identified him/her/them? Good. Get rid.
• Ask yourself – ‘what do I really want to be doing in this organisation in one, three and five years?’ Can you really see yourself there? If the answer is no, then start making exit plans which honour you and the people you lead.
• What do you like the least? The numbers? That arsey board member who asks the killer questions? There is probably some important work to do on yourself. Sort it out.
• Do you feel like an imposter? That someone will soon rip back the curtain and find you out in all your inadequacies? Welcome to leadership! Imposter Syndrome is strong in social entrepreneurs (as is bullshitting and heavy drinking).
• Being uncertain, scared, awake at 4am running nightmare scenarios through your sweaty head – these are run of the mill in leadership, just don’t let them dominate your working day.
• Leading a social business is intense and made more so by the often overblown expectations of politicians, funders and the PR Machine. Look at the social enterprise glitterati rushing round London from No 10 love-ins to seminars at Coutts and on to something else which they absolutely must be at but which, in truth, is adding diddlysquat to the financial viability and social impact of their businesses. Pack. It. In.

Liam Black is co-founder of Wavelength.

Contact him via thesamewavelength.com or via Twitter @LiamABlack