Bay Tree VA is not only an outsourcing team but also a network of clients, professional bodies, associations and trusted advisers. One such trusted adviser is leadership coach, Paul Gibson. After a successful career as a business owner, Paul decided to use his real-world experience to help other SME leaders and started his Leadership Coaching business.
“For many of the senior leaders I coach, a recurring frustration that rears its head around 3am is – I can’t do it all, but I don’t know anyone else that can. That tension between needing support and fearing a loss of control becomes a pressure cooker. So, they do what high-performers often do… they keep going.”
But the cost is high: overload builds, momentum slows, and burnout creeps in. Leadership coaches and other trusted advisers can help spot the early signs of stress and strain and then find smart, sustainable solutions. There could be one specific problem or a range of issues, such as a reluctance to delegate, poor time management, a need to reshuffle internal roles and update systems. With the help of some professional support, a business owner can start to work through those inefficiencies to accelerate progress to get things done.
Sometimes, change can come from existing resources or recruiting support, but often access to fractional operational support fits the bill. It comes without the pressure of hiring full-time, so low risk and flexible. The extra resource can be to manage one specific project, implement new tech or simply to share the load and create some much-needed downtime in the knowledge that the business is in safe hands.
Paul concludes “Having worked with a client who was overwhelmed yet hesitant to recruit, we trialled fractional support through Bay Tree VA and within days had seamless, low-risk support and a renewed sense of clarity. That small shift unlocked major progress. My advice would be if the cracks are starting to show, don’t ignore them. You don’t have to do it all, but you do have to act. Share your goals with a trusted circle of professionals and be clear on what you want to achieve. With support, it is possible to protect your momentum, energy and leadership confidence and take your business to the next level.”
To learn more about how Bay Tree VA supports business owners and can work alongside trusted advisers working with their clients, email standingby@baytreeva.co.uk. To connect with Paul Gibson, Leadership Coach for SME Leaders, visit www.coachgibson.com.
