By Joseph Diab, an EO Montreal member and president & CEO Diabsolut

It was a mildly rainy Sunday morning when I was off to lead my spin class, and it was my first Father’s Day holiday. Little did I know, what would transpire at spinning class would drastically transform the way I viewed and ran my business.

In the the middle of the gruelling class, among 50 huffing and puffing spinners, I had a heart attack! I realized I needed to clear my mind of all the day-to-day hassles and give up more of the actual work to my team.

I stopped being a micro-manager. If my leaders did not achieve the simple metrics we had set aside for them, we made changes. Most importantly, I went from working “in” my business, to working “on” my business.

I developed several tips to change my focus away from day-to-day operational engagements to high-level strategic thinking:

Here are seven tips for changing your focus:

1. Make a list of your daily tasks: From that list put a value to each of the tasks (High priority 10 to low priority 1) and put a name next to them of someone in your organization who could fulfill the task. If no name comes up, add a note for a potential new hire or a part time contractor.
2. Keep high priority items 9 & 10 in your view: Entrust your people to get everything else done! This exercise alone will make you understand if you have the right people.
3. Seek quality advice/mentoring for your top two priorities: If they are that important to the success of your business, do yourself the favor of getting the best help on them that you can. My strategic advisors are worth their weight in gold.
4. Prepare a one page business plan: Determine where you would like to be in 12 months and have everyone in the organization sign off as their dedication and willingness to get there with you.
5. Determine what’s in it for them: Share the positive outcomes and what your team has to gain from the process.
6. Be the Chief Talent Acquisition Officer: Let the pro’s find your new resources, but be the deciding voice on those resources. Look for the X-factor, as well as how you believe that person will fit into your culture. If you’re uncomfortable or undecided about a candidate, listen to the little voice in your head.
7. Get rid of the noise and barriers in your organization: This will permit each of your resources to become more strategic to the organization.

The most important thing I have learned from this experience is to let go and trust my team. I would strongly recommend that you do the same and if you’re reading this and thinking that you don’t have the right people, that’s your starting point!