ICON, Infusionsoft’s User Conference in Phoenix, Arizona was held in March 2016. A gathering of the largest community of Infusionsoft users, small business owners, and industry experts come together for three days packed with intense business strategy, training, and implementation6 main stage keynote sessions, daily one-of-a-kind networking events, and hands-on Infusionsoft implementation sessions developed specifically to address the biggest obstacles in small business.

One of the breakouts was on the topic of making the transition from entrepreneur to CEO. At some point as an entrepreneur, you have to stop doing everything. Instead, you have to start hiring and becoming the leader that your team needs. This breakout included some guests and case studies and really inspired the room to continue growing in their leadership as as a CEO. This is for business owners ready to grow their businesses over the million mark and beyond. Ready?

How to Make the Transition From Entrepreneur to CEO

1. Set the vision.

Stephanie Holmes-Winton, CEO and Founder of The Money Finder shared that your #1 job is to set the vision. You have to learn how to create the space to think. What percentage of your days are speaking, learning, working and free days? If a task is not setting the vision and leading your team, you shouldn’t be doing it.

2. Activate your CEO brain.

Stop doing. Stop saying, “I’m busy.” You need blank space to set the vision. Blank space in your schedule, notebook, time and whiteboard. If your team don’t know where you are headed, no one will be able to think for themselves. Don’t babysit adults.

3. Create space to think.

Create “thinking days” in your calendar. Create space to think about how you can become the leader you need to be next year. Do less in order to grow more. Your most important job as CEO is to think.

4. Say no.

Decide to cut off all the other things with your time so you can do the stuff that will help you impact millions of people. It’s unreal what you are capable of when you invest in yourself and say no.

5. Know what you really need to do.

Sam Greeley from Net Profit Explosion challenges entrepreneurs to think about what we would do in our businesses if we faced the hard prognosis of having to be gone in a year. He actually faced this question when he was told this by a doctor after having a cancer scare in 2005. What would he do if he had a year to live? He wanted to continue to help people. What about you?

6. Know where you are now.

Know what is holding back your business right now. Is it overwhelm or working IN your business not ON your business. Is it bright, shiny object syndrome? Are you a control freak and having a hard time delegating? Are there undefined roles on your team?

Remember, what got you here might not get you there.

7. Lead.

All problems are leadership problems. Think about a problem. How could leadership change that problem? Rich Fettke, Co-CEO of  Real Wealth Network said that leadership is an exercise of relinquishing control.

He was given 6 months to live and it really challenged him to evaluate his career direction and life and create something else with his wife in the lead.

8. Have purpose and share.

Create your brand promise, purpose, mission and vision and core values. Have a quarterly meeting and annual offsite and share this purpose and mission with your team. Share your successes, wins and obstacles with your team.

[RELATED: Business Vision Planning Workshop]

9. Say no, again

Damien Sanchez from Mosquito Squad said that you have to say no. You have to grow or die. He had 80% of the wrong people on his team and he had to say no to them and build this team with the right people. This made all the difference for him and his company’s success.

10. Be Honest

Here are some really important questions to ask yourself today to become the CEO you need to be next year:

-Who do you have to become to lead your team as a CEO?

-What change do you need to make?

-What is the most powerful action you can take right now?

-If you are committed to everything, you are committed to nothing. What are you committed to?