Five Telltale Signs That Printers and Pro Athletes Need Executive Coaching

Five Telltale Signs That Printers and Pro Athletes Need Executive Coaching

Posted by Rock LaManna on Thu, Jun 07, 2012 @ 08:00 AM

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In many ways, the owners of printing companies are like professional athletes.  They have some stellar attributes that have allowed them to climb to the very top.  Many owners also find themselves in a predicament similar to pro athletes - which is why, like their athletic counterparts, the smart ones turn to executive coaching.

First of all, let’s define what you as an owner have in common with a top-notch athlete:

• Skill.  You excel at a certain area of your sport or profession, and it’s allowed you to surpass the level of others.
• Drive.  You face competition from every direction - both domestically and overseas - but your drive to succeed has allowed you to reach the top. 
• Success. At some point, you’ve made your mark.  As an athlete, you may have won a championship at a collegiate level.  As a printer, you may have created a solid book of business.  Wherever success came from, you have established yourself in the field.

So what are the telltale signs that an owner, like an athlete, may need some executive coaching? 

1. You simply want to get better.  Hey, if you’re a winner, that means you like it at the top.  You’re never one to look back - you always look ahead.  That’s why your focus is squarely on being the best, and you’re relentless in finding the edge that takes you to the next level.
2. You model yourself after the best.  Pro athletes look around at their peers.  They see their top competitors surround themselves with people who can push them to the next level; people like individual coaches.  You see what other people use to make it big -- you’re ready to do the same.
3. You believe in investing in yourself because you believe in yourself.  There’s a difference between wanting to do everything yourself and believing in yourself.  The person who wants to do everything and doesn’t rely on the outside perspective of others won’t see the big picture.  The person who believes in their own abilities knows that they’ll improve with the right guidance and insight.
4. You’re at a plateau or you’re backsliding.  Despite all your remarkable skills or knowledge of the game/industry, your success has leveled out; you may even be backsliding.  The worse part is you’re doing everything that’s clicked for you before, but nothing seems to work.
5. You feel like the game is passing you by.  Athletes are often bypassed by younger, stronger athletes.  Printers are bypassed by owners who don’t understand new technologies or business approaches.  In either case, you feel like you don’t know the game anymore.

The similarities go on and on, but perhaps the most important one between top pro athletes and top printing owners is that you take action.  You know in your heart that if you don’t do it, sooner or later you’re going to wind up on the wrong side of the score.

(Photo by Phil McElhinney)

To read about mistakes to avoid when selling your printing business, download, Rock LaManna’s "12 Code Red Seller Mistakes"

Rock LaManna provides executive coaching for printing owners looking to grow their printing business, merge with a synergistic partner, make a strategic acquisition, or create a succession plan.

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