I just got off the phone with an incredibly warm, smart and skilled woman.
She’s hit a point where she’s ready to make some professional changes, but has absolutely no idea how to navigate her ‘what’s next?’ path. And she said to me, “I’ve been in ‘Heads Down mode’ just doing my work – working hard, and feeling pretty comfortable.”
I see this daily with entrepreneurs – from start-ups all the way to seasoned pros. Your days, weeks, months and beyond are filled with heads down activities keeping the revenue coming in and the to-do lists checked.
Here are some examples of what’s happening in Heads Down mode:
- Heads down mode is when the book actually gets written.
- Heads down mode is when we’re serving our beloved clients and changing lives and delivering impact.
- Heads down mode is when we’re first getting started and working tirelessly behind-the-scenes to bring our dream to life (think website branding, copy, etc).
- Heads down mode is when we’re in our creative process – writing, drawing, consulting, serving, designing etc. We are deep IN the work of our craft.
For many creative entrepreneurs, this is the happy spot – you get to dive deep into your craft, and do what you do best and often make great progress in the process. It’s also a place of great comfort. Your skills are clear here. Your value is tangible. And it keeps fear at bay because your edges aren’t being stretched.
Yet, if you stay in heads down mode too long – you put your business at risk and likely keep it plateaued (ever wonder why you can’t bust through a certain revenue goal?).
Naturally, the contrast to Heads Down mode is Heads Up Mode.
Here, you’re taking a step back – leaning OUT – to get a full picture of the state of your business. You’re stepping beyond the daily grind to explore what’s working and what’s not, and what’s next.
Here are some examples of what’s happening in Heads Up Mode:
- Heads up mode is when you’re planning your marketing / editorial / promotional calendar.
- Heads up mode is when you’re building new relationships and forging powerful connections.
- Heads up mode is when you’re reviewing the landscape of your existing business to identify gaps (in skills, offers, positioning, marketing etc).
- Heads up mode is when you’re strategizing about where you want to take your business, and what will be needed to get there (new program or service? more time spent optimizing existing offers? better outreach?)
Operating in Heads Up mode will push your own thinking — requiring that you transcend the here-and-now in favour of thinking strategically and casting a vision beyond what you know for sure.
Because once you embrace playing outside your own comfort zone, you and your business become empowered as you develop resiliency by understanding the bigger picture context. This helps you make sense of opportunities, adapt to change, and make smarter and faster decisions.
And perhaps even more importantly, it gives you a greater sense of fulfilment because your vision and purpose are clear – it’s no longer a matter of ‘where am I headed?’; the question turns to “what do I need to put into place to get there?”
Balancing both is often a challenge for many entrepreneurs, yet for your business to thrive, you need to be able to operate effectively and strategically in both arenas.
This is not an either / or proposition.
It is possible to design your business to give you space to do the work you love AND have capacity and time to cast beyond the day-to-day into a vision that delights, inspires and calls you forth (and grows your business!).
This is a great part of the work we’ll be doing inside my new program, Beyond PRO: Claim your place as CEO. This leadership program designed specifically for entrepreneurial women, will help you find our own balance – your perfect mix of Heads Up and Heads Down work. It’s powerful stuff and will be the catalyst to next evolution of your business’s growth. Registration opens March 24th, and the program begins April 28th.
Stay tuned for more!
xo Steph
P.S. The new site isn’t live yet – but stay tuned as I’ll let you know as soon as it is!
Photo credit: Maurizio Costanzo
