Contrary to popular belief, you can have a heart and still run a business. At different points in my entrepreneurial endeavors, I’ve had to make some decisions that made me sick to my stomach. From dealing with less than desirable clients, to letting go of people I really like, to jumping into decisions that seem scary but I know will be beneficial later on, I’ve seen and done just about all of it. In school they teach you about business plans, revenue models, marketing and operations. But they never prepare you for the emotional reactions to the decisions that make you feel awful.

School doesn’t prepare you for the human side of business. I know, many of the business greats will say “it’s business, never personal” or “get over it“. But when you have a small company where everyone knows everyone and works well together, any upset to that balance can throw you for a loop. I’m a businesswoman first, but I’m a human being. I feel that my accomplishments should be shared with my team, and that they are just as invested in my success as I am. They bust their butts to help build the brand in their own way, with their own contributions. So why wouldn’t I want to give them credit for that? Is this wishful thinking? Maybe to some, but not to me. When you have a small company everyone puts their all into it to help you grow. At least that’s how it’s been with my company. Big companies don’t seem to get it. They don’t value their people the way small businesses do. They see them as necessary cogs to keep the wheel turning. But I see people as valuable components that are vital to the success of my business, each in their own way.

I’ve had times where I’ve had to let people go and it killed me. It made me feel like I failed. I’ve had times where I’ve had to fire people because they couldn’t perform, and that made me feel like I failed to find the right person (coming from a veteran recruiter, that’s a major sting). But you learn to work through these business decisions. That doesn’t mean they get easier, they just become part of the grand design. People come and go, sometimes for a reason, sometimes for a season. But I’ve learned to view each person’s time with me as a gift. That person was gifted to me for a specific time, for a specific purpose. All I can do is appreciate them, thank them, and hope to keep in touch and remain on good terms. Who knows what the future holds, so you never want to burn bridges.

I think we’d have a lot more loyalty if we learned to treat our people with compassion and respect. They should not be treated as just worker bees. Hopefully anyone who has ever worked for me feels like I treated them like family. I’m not ashamed to say I’m human and that I have emotions. I think it helps me more than hinders me. Don’t consider emotions a liability. It’s when you start making decisions without thinking through the consequences of your decisions and not giving a second thought to how it will affect others that you should begin to worry. You can be a sound business person, but just don’t let it harden you.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
Heavy is the head that wears the crown 

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Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org). She is a strategist that helps people grow their career, business or network in any economy. She is the voice behind Views from the Top Radio Show, and the creative visionary behind Empower Me! Institute and Empower Me! Magazine. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. You can also find her causing a ruckus on Forbes.com.