Head Up – Head Down – Head On

Getting A Head in Business

It’s often not so much what we do in business that counts, it’s *how* we do it.

Everyone has their own naturally tendencies – which can be used to great advantage or may equally become a liability.

It will be no surprise to learn that one of the first questions an investor asks when assessing the long term value of a start-up is who, exactly, is at the helm. 

They want to know not just who the brains behind the business might be; the solitary hero whose ideas will captivate the buying public, they want to understand who it is who is going to ensure the business is a lasting success.

They know that it’s never down to one individual, instead they are looking for a team that works together brilliantly, acts as a balanced, self-motivating, self-refining engine. Such as model may exist as a partnership, but the best combination invariably consists of THREE people.

Triangulate

Pythagoras is known for his mathematical understanding of the triangle, yet the man’s understanding of three-pointed geometry was actually more of a philosophy than a numbers thing.

Pythagoras believed that almost any problem could be solved if you identified the 3rd position. A and B are often obvious but he realised that the answer will not come through examining either A or B but rather by gaining a 3rd viewpoint (that’ll be C).

Serious business ideas need this third viewpoint and this is why Solopreneurs in particular need to be careful. They can be successful but only with a carefully selected team who can support and advise them in areas that don’t play to their own strengths. No one should believe they have all the wisdom they need to succeed. We all need to work closely with others who have the same passion and concern to make the business succeed but come at it with their own unique, complementary strengths.

But how exactly do you go about selecting your team?

This is where we should look at the three typical approaches people bring with them (which is yours?):

Head Up

The head up approach is about being visionary and imaginative. These people focus on the future, on what is possible in the days to come. They are great at dreaming up new ideas, inventing new solutions and motivating others to join the party.

Head Down  

The head down approach is to examine the details and get real. To research, to measure, to find the facts and focus on what the numbers are saying. Every business needs someone who is passionate about what can be evidenced - what’s *really* happening in the business. These guys will be able to state what would logically happen if a certain course is pursued. They provide an invaluable insight that the dreamy Heads Up crew simply don't see.

Head On

The head on approach is, of course, to tackle the problem directly. No subtlety here - if there’s an issue, they get right into the middle of it. If there’s a misunderstanding they speak to the person face to face as soon as they can. Confrontation is seen as the way to get things clear and get things done.

None of these approaches is, of itself, better than the others but whichever one describes best your general tendency, you’d do well to ensure you had others close by who naturally bring the other approaches.  

The strongest teams have a good mix of all three approaches. If the individuals involved respect what the others have to say, (argue though they will at times) better decisions will be made and numerous disasters will be avoided.

The biggest issue every business faces is blindness – but with three sets of eyes, looking at every scenario from three different perspectives, the best way forward is much, much more likely to become clear.

So, what’s your experience of partnerships and teams?