Dealing With the Tough Stuff

8 Playing president

Not every entrepreneur agrees on what it means to play the role of president within our companies, but every one of us has had to wrestle with the concept. At business conferences, people talk about how to integrate that role with our personal lives. Do you ever wonder how that can even be possible? Can you really be your authentic self in all parts of your life? And which self, which role, is the authentic one anyway? The leader of a values-driven business ultimately has decision-making power that nobody else in the company has, so this role is fundamentally different from most of the other roles we play in our lives, whether it be spouse, partner, friend, board member, volunteer, parent, or child.

This chapter is about learning ...