Why CEOs Have More Business Problems Now Than Ever

No, you are not delusional- CEOs face more business problems now than ever.

How is this possible in a world with more abundance than ever before?

How is optimizing cash flow, workflows, and time management so difficult despite having more bookkeeping, automation, and research technologies than ever?

There is a Catch 22 in the modern business world: While there are more problem-solving resources than ever, these resources simultaneously add new problems to a business owner’s plate.

To prove it, I am shedding light on why CEOs have more business problems now than ever.

Additionally, I’m sharing how to overcome modern business problems to achieve business success.

The longer you allow problems to stand in your way, the less likely you are to achieve business growth.

Even worse, the more likely you are to call it quits.

Here Is Why Entrepreneurs Have More Business Problems Now Than Ever

New customers, new employees, or product development got you feeling overwhelmed with problems?

You are not alone.

However, you DO NOT need to live in a problem-filled world, nor should you if you want to run a successful business.

Here is why entrepreneurs have more business problems now than ever.

Problem Is Just a Label

First, it is crucial to remember that problems are situations, people, ideas, or things with an attached label.

As William Shakespeare said: Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

Before jumping into why problems exist, it is essential to remember that a problem is not a problem until you believe it is such.

Moreover, nothing is inherently problematic!

Yes, situations, people, ideas, or things can cause you pain, but that does not mean they are inherently problematic.

For example, if a bee stings you, there is no denying it is painful.

However, does that automatically make bees problematic? Or, is the bee just being a bee, and you happened to cross paths with it?

While bee stings and business problems are obviously different, the idea is the same: Problems are not problems until you label them as problems.

Keeping this concept in mind is essential because once you label something as problematic, the way you approach it changes.

Specifically, if you label something as problematic, you are more likely to react out of emotion towards it.

And as you know, reacting out of emotion never does anybody well!

The More Comfortable You Get, the More Problems You See (Important!)

There are more medium and small business problems today than ever because medium and small business owners label more situations, people, ideas, and things as problems.

The moment a business owner labels something as a problem is the moment it becomes a problem in their reality.

Business leaders label more things as problematic because they are more COMFORTABLE than ever.

Actually, the western world is more comfortable than ever.

Most humans in the west don’t face daily discomforts: They wake up in a warm bed, drive an air-conditioned car to work, sit in an office chair with food on demand, and then make their way home to a fridge filled with more food.

While sitting on the couch, their phone allows them to ignore problems, such as their bank balance and looming anxiety.

Because humans are more comfortable than ever, even the slightest inconveniences feel like extreme challenges!

CEOs are not immune from getting exceedingly comfortable.

Businesses face more business issues than ever because CEOs are more comfortable than ever.

Over-comfort is perhaps the biggest challenge in business (and the world) today.

The World Around Us Reinforces Problems.

Thanks to excessive comfort, even the tiniest inconveniences make it feel like the world will end.

However, comfort is not the only factor creating more problems.

Additionally, there are a few more problem-creating factors, including:

1. Excuses
2. Social media
3. Excessive complication

First, these days it is acceptable to make excuses. When faced with a common challenge, it is allowable for people to blame the issue on somebody else instead of taking accountability.

Lack of accountability is a by-product of being overly comfortable!

Second, social media has many business leaders believing other people’s lives are perfect.

Even though nobody’s life is perfect, it is easy for CEOs to compare their life to somebody else’s and feel theirs is excessively problematic.

Finally, many CEOs believe running a business is complicated.  

Thanks a lot, business gurus!

Even though running a business is a simple matter of selling products or services to customers, many CEOs believe it’s much more complex.

Even worse, they believe the business world has limited resources when, in reality, there is abundance.

As if over-comfort wasn’t already a big enough issue on its own, excuses, social media, and unnecessary complexity has made it worse!

Problem Solving Is a Matter of Not Getting Too Comfortable

Overcoming your business problems to grow a successful business is about not getting too comfortable.

As long as you are overly comfortable, the more situations you will LABEL as problematic.

Considering that you are currently on the entrepreneurship pathway, it is obvious you already know how to cope with discomfort.

If you did not know how to deal with discomfort, you would be back working your old nine-to-five job!

Also, investing in some new technology will not solve your problems for you.

Intentionally Challenge Yourself

To prevent labeling everything, person, situation, or thing you encounter as problematic, commit to getting uncomfortable.

Specifically, commit to regularly challenging yourself.

Challenges bring you out of that ultra-cozy comfort zone.

The more time you spend out of your comfort zone, the more you challenge yourself.

Also, consider getting your entire team and customer base on board with practicing challenges!

The more people committed to challenging themselves, the fewer the business problems.

You Don’t Need to Do Something Crazy to Get Uncomfortable.

You do not need to skydive or go on a three-day fast to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.

Actually, minute challenges can make the most considerable difference.

For example, challenge yourself to stop using your phone every night after 7 p.m.

Most of us do not realize just how much of a comfort-inducing tool cell phones are and how uncomfortable it is to let go of them.

Not only will this likely challenge you, but being off your phone gives you more opportunities to be introspective.

The more introspective you are, the more creative you become!

Furthermore, you do not need to put your life at risk to get uncomfortable.

Instead, try taking a moment to analyze what factors make you most comfortable in life and then opt to reduce them.

How to Continuously Challenge Yourself as a CEO to Prevent Problems

Preventing business problems is a matter of continuously challenging yourself.

The more you challenge yourself, the less comfortable you are.

The less comfortable you are, the fewer situations, people, ideas, and things you will label as problems.

That said, here are five ways to challenge yourself as an entrepreneur.

Not only will these five challenges keep you out of your comfort zone, but they will also help grow your business.

Take Your Business Vision to the Next Level

Remember when you first started your business?

The idea of running a new business was foreign, and you didn’t even have a legit business plan!  

However, you had an intense internal drive to manifest your business vision.

Too often, business owners lose that fulfilling flame of enthusiasm shortly after starting their business.

Suddenly, the day-to-day to-do’s of running a company, including formulating a business model and marketing strategy, put a cap on that flame.

As a result, they get overly comfortable in their regular business routine.

A business owner can know they are getting too comfortable in the day-to-day business routine if they experience the feeling of being in a slump!

Every business owner should prevent getting too comfortable by consistently growing their business vision.

For example, if you started your business with the vision of putting pineapple pizzas in each of your neighborhood grocery stores, expand that vision to put pineapple pizzas in every grocery store in your state.

The idea is to grow and expand your vision continuously.

Instead of seeing the business vision as a destination, see it as a continuous journey to make bigger and better impacts.

Reach Out to Your Dream Prospects

Perhaps nothing is more discomforting than reaching out to potential new customers!

Specifically, prospects who feel somewhat out of reach at first.

For example, the prospect’s business seems too big or too important to give little old you the time of day.

First off, nobody is above you! If you are capable of helping a customer, then you are capable of helping them, regardless of who they are.

Second, reaching out to seemingly out-of-reach customers will get you out of your comfort zone and challenge you.

Is there a customer out there who you dream of helping? 

If so, pick up the phone and call them NOW.

Set Intentional Downtime

Next, set aside daily downtime to relax and do absolutely nothing.

By doing nothing, I mean you cannot scroll through your phone or watch TV while sitting on the couch.

Instead, I mean sitting on your couch or outside doing nothing but letting your mind wander.

At first, this might seem counterproductive to challenging yourself; if you have downtime to relax, how could that challenge you?

The truth is, most business owners are blissfully unaware of how discomforting doing nothing is.

Why?

They are never NOT doing anything!

For example, they pull their phone out and scroll once they feel the slightest hint of boredom.

Or they are constantly checking emails and messages to stay on top of things while in work mode.

Unfortunately, business owners miss out on the creative benefits of downtime.

Boredom lives inside downtime, and boredom opens the door to turn inwards to get creative wheels turning.

Devote time every day and at least an hour on the weekend to being BORED. If you feel awkward being bored, you are on the right track.

Get With a CEO Coach

Next, team up with a CEO coach to stay on the edge while refining your business strategy.

Unlike the peanut gallery on social media, a CEO coach will not let you get too comfortable or make excuses.

Instead, they will push you to challenge yourself more than ever before!

You should still invest in a CEO coach, even if you already have a mentor or business support group.

Unlike a mentor or colleague, a CEO coach gives you advice based on direct experience.

As a current or former successful CEO themself, they know what it takes to go from zero to one hundred.

I am not saying not to have a mentor or supportive CEO in your corner.

Instead, I am saying to get a coach in addition to these people because coaches are categorically different.

Get Feedback From Current Customers

Finally, many CEOs convert prospects into customers only to ignore the customers shortly after!

They do this out of fear of criticism: They are too afraid the customer might have something negative to say, so they choose to avoid collecting any feedback.

Unfortunately for those CEOs, their customers don’t get the attention they need and eventually drop like flies.

Commit to collecting regular customer feedback to prevent getting ghosted by customers while challenging yourself.

While it might sting to hear what customers honestly think, it will get you out of your comfort zone and give you the information you need to improve your business.

Remember, customers are not above you! There is no reason to be afraid of them other than making up reasons in your mind.

Final Thoughts on Why CEOs Have More Business Problems Now Than Ever

There are more medium and small business problems today than ever because more business owners label things as problems.

They do this because the world is more comfortable than ever before. Comfort = zero tolerance!

The key to problem-solving is committing to getting uncomfortable every so often.

Your business and personal success depend on you smashing problems in the pathway!

Will you let problems determine your outcomes?

Remember, nothing is good or bad until you think it is!