What to do when you employee says, “I want to start my own company”…

Recently, I’ve been working with some business owners that have expressed some frustration, because an employee started their own “side business”. Needless to say, I was disappointed in their response to this news. I’m regularly reminded that we still have “owners” who don’t have any interest in learning to be leaders.

A leader, at some point in their career, learn that they work for their team and not the other way around. If they truly cared for the people (reminder! They are PEOPLE!) on your staff, then you need to realize that your goal is to support them. This means sometimes they will grow beyond their role with you, which at this point you need to celebrate them. For the business owners who recently complained to me, I had to teach them, this is a good thing!

So, when someone on your staff is thinking of starting a side business, you say GREAT! It’s the better leader who prefers to be a guide and a source of knowledge vs. being a boss, manager, an owner that is only focused on what they can get out of that person.

By Tyler Whitlow