LEADERSHIP: The Game of Thrones, or The Tribe of Many?
In this blog post, we want to talk about something that is not directly tax related. For this discussion, we propose the analogy of two types of leaders, a King and a Chief. Maybe we’ve been watching too much Game of Thrones…
As tax professionals and business consultants, we have a unique vantage point to witness the success stories of our clients. We see the fails and the wins alike. We see the good decisions and the impact of the bad ones. Regardless of your industry, the moves you make each day have an impact on both your tax position and your business.
When meeting with tax clients, especially business owners, discussions of taxes lead into business strategies and internal operations. From there, we sometimes find ourselves in conversations of how and when to make tough choices. You can either be a King running your Castle, or a Chief serving your Tribe.
Both a King and a Chief have similar responsibilities and attributes. They are often strong in personality, they are warriors, they take risks, they must make hard decisions that impact those around them, they don’t sleep as much as they’d like to, and of course, there’s the power. The method of how a leader uses that power (aka takes on that responsibility) make the difference between a King and a Chief.
A Chief has a true love for their tribe, their people, their Team. Without the Team, a Chief is nothing. A strong Team supports the business, and not because it is commanded of them. A Chief looks out to their team for guidance and council, admitting their own flaws. A King has all the solutions, and those rules must be followed by the team, or else they will be banished from the kingdom.
We are learning from our clients that listening is leading. A Chief is a skilled listener, and collaborates with the Team to achieve a goal, whereas a King only commands. A Chief is humbled by their responsibility, whereas a King seeks safety by controlling their surroundings. Castles fall, but a Team of empowered individuals, all with their different temperaments, talents, and convictions, make the business strong for generations.
Our logo here at our firm is a tree, and for good reason. Good ideas are a good seed, and a good seed can’t grow in the wrong conditions. Surround yourselves with good soil to grow your tree (friends, mentors, accountants, bankers). Your business is your tree, your Team is the trunk, the infrastructure & internal systems are your branches, and the fruit of the tree is both stability and profit.
At OG, we are your soil. We Care Here.
Oliver Financial Group, LLC
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