What Behavior Sabotages You?

A question that I find particularly revealing to ask an entrepreneur is, “What is one behavior in your life that regularly sabotages you as a business owner?”

The answers are varied. Some individuals can’t say “no” to any request, some have to keep their fingers in every detail even though it bogs things down, and some procrastinate on making decisions. Each sabotaging behavior is rooted in a corresponding fear: people won’t like me if I refuse them, things won’t be done correctly if I don’t control them, and I’m not smart enough to make the right choice.

These sabotaging behaviors, or flaws, are most likely to reveal themselves in stressful conditions. And, interestingly, an individual’s biggest “flaw” is often his or her greatest strength being inappropriately applied. Empathy is a strength; being a pushover is not. Gathering facts and opinions and doing what you need to do to feel confident about a decision is smart; delaying your decision for so long that fate makes the choice for you is less than genius.

A behavior that I recognized in myself when I worked in the family business was that I always stopped short of confronting people. With the behavior recognized, I was then free to imagine, “What would situations look like if this behavior wasn’t there?” It meant there would be some tougher communication and some tense moments. However, it also meant that my employees would grow and flourish because they would get more honest feedback. And, after a period of adjustment, it meant a lot less stress for me.

Once you acknowledge and name the fears governing your actions you can define strategies for changing them. And it’s like ridding yourself of any bad habit, you don’t focus on what you want to stop doing, you focus on what you want to start doing in place of that default behavior that’s standing in the way of your success.