How to Think Like a 7-Figure CEO — emily perron
Lately, I’ve been reading the book Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters (actually listening on Audible). I haven’t read a business book in almost a year, but this one is SO good that I had to share. (You can find it .)
When a colleague recommended it to me, I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. My instincts said this was a book that was geared for companies much larger than mine and the bloggers I work with.
And the authors said that right in the introduction… their work and the concepts in the book are focused on companies generating $2 to $50 million in annual revenue with teams of 10 to 250 employees.
But as I’ve gotten into the book, I’ve realized that we each can take what we need. There are definitely some gems for businesses of all sizes.
And I’m so glad I gave it a chance because I quickly realized that if we want to grow seven-figure businesses, we need to start operating like seven-figure businesses.
Or at the very least, we need to be aware of what they are doing differently so that we can take small steps over time to align our actions with what people ahead of us in business are doing effectively.
Are you a visionary or an integrator?
For me, the greatest takeaway has been about the two types of people every business needs to be successful: a visionary and an integrator.
According to the authors, visionaries are idea generators. They believe in their visions without knowing exactly how they’ll be achieved and tend to be better at research than development.
Meanwhile, integrators work on a more detailed level, prefer to implement someone else’s vision and are strong leaders and managers.
And I’m wondering if one of the big challenges for you (and me) in business ownership is that you can’t be in the visionary role all the time because you just aren’t there yet. I know this has been super true for myself.
I was in a mastermind in 2017 when I realized that I was highly visionary and not good at integrating, but I couldn’t afford to be the visionary all the time yet. So I started with a 10/90 approach (10 percent visionary, 90 percent integrator).
Slowly, I’ve been shifting that. And today, I’m closer to 70/30 with my current team.
But even in those earlier days, I envisioned moving into the visionary role more and more. Reading this book has affirmed that even more for me.
On the Rocket Fuel assessments, I received a 92 out of 100 on the visionary and a 33 out of 100 on the integrator. You can take the visionary quiz here and the integrator quiz here to see where you fall.
I wasn’t too surprised because I’m not great with details and I resonated highly with the description of the visionary.
(And if you saw my craft room, you would be shocked by the number of unfinished quilts and knitting projects I have laying around… I’m really good at starting things.)
This book has also given me greater appreciation for my project manager (and that she can put up with my ways). My PM is definitely an integrator, and I believe hiring her has allowed me to accomplish more than ever the past year because I don’t have to monitor the details or make the plans.
What I’ve realized? You don’t need to be making $2 million a year to have a talented, high-performing integrator on your team. But how can you tell if you NEED one?
7 signs that you need an integrator:
Visionaries are commonly creators, and most of the entrepreneurs I work with are visionaries. They are idea generators, and they generate lots of them. Sound familiar? Let’s run through a checklist. You may need an integrator if you…
1. Get flooded with ideas and inspiration of all kinds, all the time.
But typically, not all the ideas are good. Actually, many end up being duds, but a few are absolutely brilliant.
If this sounds familiar, an integrator can help you filter through the many ideas and help determine the ones worth pursuing.
Plus, integrators are way better at the small details and follow-through than visionaries, so they can realistically create a course of action that brings your big ideas (the good ones) to life.
2. Are very creative and good at coming up with solutions for big problems.
But small problems? You tend to ignore those because who has the time to fix the little stuff?
This is where an integrator can be really helpful… The thing that differentiates an integrator most from a visionary is their proficiency in handling the minutiae. They pay attention to the small stuff and make sure loose ends are always tied up.
3. Have a keen ability to discover new ways of doing things.
You like to teach visually (i.e., drawing diagrams) and are good at thinking about challenges in different ways than the norm.
At the same time, you probably struggle with getting bored easily and self-sabotaging by moving on when bored by something.
Integrators, on the other hand, thrive at the long-term implementation of project plans. It’s what makes them such key contributors within any business.
4. Are fantastic with big, external relationships.
You know how to close big deals and nurture your network, working alongside others to the mutual benefit of everyone involved. But you’re probably not as great at follow-through, holding others accountable and remembering details.
That’s where integrators excel, since they are extremely personally accountable and make strong leaders and managers.
5. Naturally enjoy developing big, brazen plans.
As long as you don’t have to implement them. And your vision is usually so strong that you completely believe you can get there, even if you don’t know exactly how.
The good news? Integrators love figuring out how. Resilient, adaptable and forward thinking, integrators are continuous learners who are exceptional at execution.
6. Prefer to explore rather than analyze.
Visionaries build companies with vision, innovation and tenacity at the forefront, not policies and procedures.
Having too many ideas can lead to many started projects but few finished ones. (Amen to that… most people are shocked by the number of unfinished projects in my craft room!)
Integrators, contrastingly, are good at selecting visionaries’ best ideas, creating a plan for it, and seeing all the parts through to the finish.
7. Can do a lot but not excel at everything.
In other words, you’re comfortable with your weaknesses and don’t feel the need to improve them. Maybe that seems counterproductive to other people, but it actually works! Visionaries are able to focus on their zones of genius way more and lean on their strengths.
Typically, visionaries don’t realize that being the visionary is a role itself within the business (especially because they have been successful by following their intuition and doing whatever needs to be done).
The solution? Embrace your visionary ways. Delegate the implementation of your ideas to someone else who naturally looks for improvements and holes to fill.
How to hire when you’re a visionary
If you’re more on the visionary side like myself and many entrepreneurs and CEOs, you need to complement your strengths by hiring freelancers who are high on integration.
You can start by hiring someone for just a few hours a week to put your vision into action. Start small, and I have a feeling once you experience the magic of having someone else implement your ideas, someone who’s gifted at managing the small stuff, you’ll be blown away.
In the digital entrepreneurship space, project managers, virtual assistants, and online business managers are commonly integrators.
With freelancers like this on your team, you can stay in your high-level idea creation frame of mind, and you can allow other people who are good at organization and task management, handle the execution. It’ll keep you moving forward, and it’ll make you way happier in the long run!
Looking for more tips on best hiring practices as a visionary entrepreneur?
Originally published at https://www.emilyperron.com on May 25, 2020.
