Five Traps to Avoid When Taking Over a New Business

When search funds fail, they typically have similarities as to why. Owners may develop bad habits within the first 100 days of running a company. Because of this, it is important for newly appointed CEOs to avoid these five traps:

1. Setting unrealistic expectations - One of the most common traps new CEOs fall into is setting overly ambitious goals and then expecting their team to perform miracles to meet them. This puts immense pressure on everyone in the company and often leads to disappointment and disillusionment when the targets are not met.

2. Rash decisions vs. analysis paralysis - Another trap that CEOs often find themselves in is making hasty decisions without fully understanding the implications or considering all the options. This can lead to expensive mistakes that could have been avoided with a bit more thought and deliberation. On the other hand, another pitfall is over-analyzing every decision to death, which can lead to stagnation and inaction. It's important to strike a balance between the two extremes and ensure that you have enough information to make informed decisions without getting bogged down in analysis paralysis.

3. Acting as if you know everything - One of the dangers of being a CEO is thinking that you know everything and that your opinion is always the right one. This can lead to a lot of problems, such as making decisions without involving or listening to others, not being open to new ideas, and stifling dissent. It's important to remember that you don't know everything and that other people's opinions and expertise are valuable.

4. Inability to adapt - Another mistake that CEOs often make is living in the past and holding on to old ways of doing things. This can be a recipe for disaster as the world around you is constantly changing and evolving. It's important to be open to new ideas and ways of doing things, and to embrace change instead of resisting it.

5. Ivory towers - One of the traps that CEOs often fall into is isolating themselves from the rest of the company in their own "ivory tower." This can lead to a disconnect between you and your employees, and it's important to make an effort to stay connected with what's going on at all levels of the company.