So many business owners are high Servant Leaders. One of the key challenges for the Servant Leader is the tendency to over-deliver.

Giving is certainly a fantastic quality. However, with a lack of money boundaries, over-giving becomes unhelpful, for both the business and the client! The more you give clients, the more they demand ... and you enter a vicious circle.

You give more of your time for 'free', you give additional resources, you don't say anything when the client continually cancels on you at the last minute .... And they just expect more and more from you.

You may complain about it but let's be honest : Many clients don't respect boundaries, simply because you haven't set any in the first place.

It is also the situation I faced in my early days and I learnt from. It can be a hard lesson because let's face it : it is all about you and you have to start taking responsibility for your actions and decisions! You are the one that needs to change if you no longer want to keep repeating the same patterns ... and ultimately serve a different type of clients.

So the next time you're tempted to give your clients more of your time, energy, ideas or money that is outside the scope of your work with them, take a step back and ask yourself :

a) "Am I really serving my client, in the best way, by over-giving?"

b) "What actions can I take to set boundaries in my business?"

c) "Where am I in the position of taker?"

This one may not be as obvious so let me expand on it a little bit. Life loves balance. : if someone is taking more from you, it is likely you are taking more from someone else.

 

When running a business maintaining a healthy balance between giving and receiving is crucial if you want you create the impact the Magician in you wants, in a sustainable way.