- Replacing yourself in your own business allows you to focus on higher priorities, build scalability, and pursue success and fulfillment beyond just your individual capabilities. It involves engineering the organization to operate independently of any single person through developing teams, processes, measurement metrics and a leadership structure. - The first steps are identifying your core contributions, prioritizing replacements, and recognizing that one person may not be enough. It's also important to expect challenges like criticism and differences in perception as the transition occurs. Ultimately replacing yourself means the business can continue without relying on any single individual.

1. Multiplying yourself
Replacing yourself in your own business
by
Lavanya Rastogi
Talk at Emerge Friday 2.0, NASSCOM

2. How is the talk organized
Getting on the same page !
Why should you even consider replacing yourself ?
When is a good time to begin ?
How to go about it: My Experience
Engineering the Organization to Succeed…(as in
succession)
What to expect in the journey
What has it meant to me….

3. Getting on the same page!
Its not about retiring, walking away, cutting and
running, playing golf, or even falling off the face
of the earth… .
Expanding your capacity to do more in your
business/life!

4. Contd.
Multiplying = Replacing = Complementing…
……they all mean the same thing:
Delegation is different !
Its not an easy road so You must have a clear payoff
in sight :
 You get to focus on what is most important for the business
r ight now.
 What % age of your time do you spend on Revenue Generating activity
during the day ?
 You get to focus on what NO ONE else is focusing on right now.
 You get to focus outward and build acquaintances that lead to
relationships and to business!
 You get to build yourself a balanced lifestyle

5. Why should you consider replacing yourself ?
 Building scalability in the business
 Distinguish between your capability and your
business's capability : Get a Reality Check..get the
model right
I have have a business…Vs. I am the
business
Working in the business Vs. Working on the business
•

6. Contd.
 Leadership at the 2nd rung will appear only when there is a
need and space for it
……Oh..I do all the critical Customer Calls…and I also do all the
recruitment decisions….and the appraisals…and the technology
choices…and representation at forums…as I am the best brand
ambassador… …….la dee da….dum dee da….
 There will be times when you will either :
really…really….NEED
wish you HAD
"it"!!
it !,
or

7. When should you start consider replacing yourself :
 Survival Phase is Over….scaling up is on the menu
 A new period of incubation is beginning
…opportunity..product..market..or model
 New Shore you need to visit…
 When you are ready to move from Success to Fulfillment
Basically….anytime the realization dawns
on you is a good time !

8. How do you replace yourself ?
Step 1: Get clear about what is the ' Substance'
you provide in the business:
Step 2: Build a priority order of
“Replacement”
Step 3: One person may never be enough
Step 4: Build Measurement Matrix
Step 5: Engineer your Company to be scalable

9. Step 1: Get clear about what “Substance” do you
provide in the business
Contribution….GROSS Vs. SUBTLE … be fair!
CEO
Vice President of (BD)
Manager - Finance,
Manager - Legal,
Head of PMO,
Manager - Corp Communication
Manager – Recruitments & Appraisals
Manager - Administration
Manager - Inspiration
Manager - Fire fighting
Manager - Prospect Charming/
Bonding
Manager - Neutralizing Potential
Attrition
Manager - Demonstrating Credibility
Manager - Bonding with key team
members
Manager - of whatever needs managing right now !
Manager - Managing Everything..

10. Contd.
Beware of two myths :
“I am the CEO Myth”
“Professional CEO Myth”

11. Step 2: Build a priority order of replacement
There will always be talent availability, budget and business
criticality considerations….the balancing act
Recruitment Function
– Administrative Acumen
PMO
Finance
Legal/Compliances
Strategic BD
Strategy
Alliances/Partnerships

12. Step 3: One person may never be enough
 Think TEAMS… eg:
3 people team replaced me in
Recruitments, 4 in finance
 Think PARTNERS
eg: Accounting and Financial Control; strategic
Business Development
 Think PROCESSES/TECHNOLOGY
eg: Sugar HR
Module, Sugar PM Module, Buxfer
 Think BENCH STRENGTH
eg: building multiple brand
ambassadors
 Think ECOSYSTEM eg: Advisors-Location-Peers Group
 Think CULTURE : Make it obvious….. eg: V1 Club, toastmasters,
OSS Camps etc.

13. Step 4: Build Measurement Matrix
• Including the tolerable threshold for Chaos!
• Aim for a quantum leap in performance!

14. Step 5: Engineer your Company to be
scalable
Managing form the Middle
Building a network of Enablers
Duplicate the model across board

15. Leadership and
Governance Strategy
Vision and Will
Business Acquisition
Strategy
“ENABLERS”
You …Soul of the Company
Financial & Ops
Strategy
Order and Structure
People And Execution
Strategy

16. What to expect ?
 Not everyone will work out….there will be costly
mistakes
 Charge it to experience….wisdom is expensive
 Expect to be Criticized for being "less involved"/
"distracted" / "unavailable" / "in a hurry"
 Difference in perception of value and potential will
certainly crop up…longest serving members
 People you are mentoring….will be the last to realize

17. The ability to replace myself: What has it
meant for me :
• I get to work with people smarter than me
….learning is continuous and tremendous
• The company has skills, knowledge & experience
completely independent from me
• I can always provide the outside
perspective..without being weighed in… strategic
edge
• The exposure that I have been able to synthesize
for my ventures is tremendous
• As an entrepreneur I have not had to let
opportunities go by

18. I can pursue and expand both Success
and Fulfillment…….

19. Of all people on the Payroll…I am least
likely to be missed….!
Questions ?

20. Thank You!