How Godpreneurs Fight the Urge to Control Everything
Updated: Aug 28, 2021
One of my biggest problems in business partnerships is that I want to control everything.
For example, if I hire a subcontractor to do a job for me, I want it done a certain way – my way. It always ends up this way because somehow, some way, the company I’ve chosen to partner with drops the ball or something didn’t go right. And because my name is on the line, I immediately move in to control the situation to make sure I save the situation.
The problem is that it eventually ruins my relationships and I have to move on to a different vendor, contractor, employee, or partner.
All of us entrepreneurs want the control in our businesses. But if we use it in our business partnerships, we could lose everything.
Whether it’s controlling the temperature at the office or the cleanliness of our desk, we all want our business life to function in a way that suits us. And what do we do when something doesn’t work the way we like in our businesses? We try to control it.
But if we try to employ this same strategy in our business partnerships, we lose connection and brotherly love we had when we first started together.
All partnerships start out great. But when we don’t feel validated and appreciated in the business partnership, anything starts to tear the group apart because controlling behavior starts coming into play. It’s our survival instinct kicking in. So we control our business partners actions to ensure we get the relationship we want.
Listen, control erodes joint ventures and the unity present at the beginning, which was the very foundational reason we even got into the partnership.
The Bible says:
"So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up". (Romans 14:19 NLT)
Do you want the truth? If you control your business partners, employees, vendors or contractors, you’re in danger of losing the relationship and business altogether.
People who feel controlled will try to escape your grip. They’ll avoid you at the office or on the phone. They may distract themselves with other ventures and mentally check out. They may start to spend less time at the office or just away from you.
Is this happening to you? Sounds familiar?
Here’s the solution for us Godpreneurs: we need to give up the role of “overbearing boss.”
We must begin cultivating a relationship of openness and brotherly love. After all, they are your brothers and sisters in Christ.
We may need to seek some business counseling for this. I know, sounds like marriage therapy, right?
But it’s true because I’ve experienced it myself – when business partners learn healthy ways to deal with conflict, connect regularly, and become complimentary in the way God intended for the business, a strong business bond is just over the horizon. For a daily dose of encouragement and perspective, subscribe to the daily email devotional at www.dailygodpreneur.com/subscribe.
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