From Operator To Architect: The Discipline Of Working On The Business, Not Just In It

By James Barlow for the Forbes Business Council

In any high-growth company, especially those scaling quickly in dynamic industries, leaders and team members alike face a defining choice: Will you spend your time working in the business, focused solely on the tasks in front of you? Or will you elevate your perspective and work on the business by learning, evolving and driving sustainable long-term value?

At BZI, this mindset shift is more than a leadership cliché—it’s a cultural expectation. We ask every team member to take ownership of their growth, their craft, and their contribution. It’s a discipline that doesn’t happen by accident and certainly doesn’t happen between the hours of 9 and 5 alone.

Personal Investment: A Prerequisite For Excellence

I didn’t go to college. Yet I learned how to read balance sheets, understand financial models and lead teams through complex decisions. That knowledge wasn’t acquired during work hours. It came through late nights, weekend study, mentorship and repetition. In short: homework.

If you want to be great at your craft—whether in carpentry, communications or corporate finance—you must become a student of it. You cannot be merely a passive participant, but should be an active practitioner instead. Much like a world-class athlete wouldn’t dream of showing up only on game day, professionals at the top of their field typically practice relentlessly and study their craft, especially when no one is watching.

Greatness doesn’t come from showing up to do a job. It comes from becoming an expert within the role you perform, and that requires intentional effort beyond the job description.

Adopt An Ownership Mindset

We encourage our team to think from the “owner’s box.” That doesn’t mean everyone should start their own business. It means approaching your work with a sense of stewardship. How does your role impact the entire organization? Where are you creating value? Are you propelling the company forward or simply fulfilling your assigned tasks?

Ownership is a mindset. Leaders who adopt it are likely to make better decisions, communicate more effectively and generate results that drive value. It’s good for personal development as well as business.

Leaders should invest heavily in their people, but that investment is a two-way street. Whether it’s helping a welder study for their Certified Welding Inspector credential or supporting a future CPA with exam prep, we make the first move—but we expect our team members to match it with discipline, consistency and drive.

We’ve seen exceptional growth from team members who took the initiative to learn project management, safety compliance, estimating or leadership, and this all happened outside regular work hours. They didn’t wait to be told what to learn. They took responsibility for who they wanted to become.

This is the opposite of entitlement. It’s about ownership of one’s career path. It’s not always comfortable, but it’s definitely rewarding.

Excellence Is A Competitive Advantage

At a time when AI, automation and digital transformation are redefining every industry, remaining relevant is not guaranteed. Staying ahead requires personal investment and reinvention.

The workplace is one of the best arenas for learning, testing and refining skills. Every project is an opportunity to practice leadership, decision-making and resilience. But treating work as a training ground only works if you show up ready to grow.

This doesn’t mean abandoning work-life balance. It means recognizing that growth and excellence often happen around the traditional workday—not instead of a life, but in pursuit of a better one. If you’re serious about leveling up (whether you’re a founder, manager, tradesperson or executive), here are five steps to help you work on the business, not just in it:

1. Schedule Dedicated Time To Learn

Block off 2–3 hours each week to study your craft, whether that’s through books, industry webinars, podcasts or mentorship. This investment compounds quickly.

2. Think Like An Owner

Ask yourself regularly: If I owned this business, would I make the same decision? This mental exercise helps sharpen strategic thinking and long-term accountability.

3. Practice Outside Of Game Day

Just like athletes review game film and train off the field, professionals should prepare outside work hours. Build side projects, role-play scenarios or rehearse skills you want to master.

4. Seek Feedback From Multiple Levels

Don’t wait for annual reviews. Ask for honest input from peers, mentors and direct reports. Learning what you can do better—and acting on it—is a superpower.

5. Match Every Opportunity With Personal Initiative

If your company offers development support, use it. If it doesn’t, create your own. Don’t wait for permission to improve. Growth is your responsibility.

At BZI, we’ve seen firsthand how individuals grow fastest when they take ownership of their future. Our commitment is to meet them halfway—to support, invest and mentor—but never to substitute effort.

If you want to become a high performer in your field, you must embrace the discipline of working on your craft, your mindset and your impact—not just during work hours, but throughout life. That’s where I believe champions are made. That’s where value is created. And in today’s world, value creation is everything.

https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2025/10/07/from-operator-to-architect-the-discipline-of-working-on-the-business-not-just-in-it/