I’m Mikkel Pitzner, and for years, I’ve guided thousands of small to medium-sized business owners to millions in profits without grinding themselves into the ground. At The Automated Millionaire, our systems deliver a 97-98% success rate, but let me drop a truth bomb: No system, no matter how flawless, will work if you can’t lead yourself. The hardest person to lead isn’t your team, your clients, or your competitors – it’s you. And until you face that, you’re stuck.
A Lesson from The Little Prince
In Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince, a timeless tale of wisdom disguised as a children’s story, a young prince travels across planets, meeting quirky characters who reveal profound truths. One encounter somewhat relevant to this article stands out: The prince meets a king on a tiny planet, ruling over nothing but himself. The king, desperate to assert his authority, gives orders to everything: The sun, the stars, even the prince. But his commands are meaningless, only aligning with what’s already happening, like ordering the sun to set at sunset.
The prince, who loves sunsets and who is also very curious, asks the king to make the sun set right now. The king hesitates, knowing he can’t control the sun’s schedule. Instead, he tells the prince, “One must require from each one the duty which each one can perform. Accepted authority rests first of all on reason. If you ordered your people to go and throw themselves into the sea, they would rise up in revolution.”
After a bit more conversation between the little prince and the king, he prince decides to leave, but the king, desperate to keep him, says:
“Don’t go! I’ll make you Minister of Justice!”
The prince is confused:
“There’s no one here to judge!”
The king insists there might be someone, maybe an old rat he hears at night. The prince checks the planet (it’s a very, very small planet): Nope, nobody’s there. That’s when the king drops a big truth:
“Then you shall judge yourself,” he said. “That is the most difficult thing of all. It’s much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself rightly, then you are indeed a man of true wisdom.”
This moment in The Little Prince isn’t just a story, but a mirror. The king’s empty commands reflect the excuses we make when we fail to lead ourselves. Judging yourself and holding yourself accountable is the hardest task, but it’s the key to unlocking your business’s potential.
Why You’re Your Own Worst Follower
You’re a business owner, a leader by default. You set goals, manage teams, and keep the ship afloat. But how often do you let yourself slide? You promise to focus on strategy, yet you’re stuck in daily operations, answering emails, and fixing problems your team should handle. You know you’re undercharging, but fear of losing clients keeps your prices low, bleeding your margins dry.
I’ve been there. Early on, I avoided tough calls, keeping underperforming employees, dodging price hikes, because I didn’t want conflict. That wasn’t leadership; it was cowardice.
But I was lucky. I had too much riding on me and the bosses, I had to answer to, kept too keen of an eye on me, and along with that a hefty time pressure to reach results fast. And because of that, I were in no position to hide in cowardice for too long, or bring up too many excuses, and was therefore forced to pull the trigger on things, have the uncomfortable conversations and yes, even fire several people.
As circumstances would have it, I was lucky because I had to do things I was uncomfortable with from the get-go. And while I have never enjoyed firing anyone, as a business owner this is something you will invariably need to do, and I learned quickly just to get things done that while uncomfortable just had to get done.
Leading yourself means facing the uncomfortable truth: Your business isn’t stalled because of the economy or your team. It’s stalled because of you. Here’s why self-leadership is the toughest challenge:
- You Dodge Accountability: You’re quick to point fingers when sales dip or projects stall, but when was the last time you looked at your own choices? Are you still chasing sales instead of profits, even though you know my Profit-First Mindset could double your margins? Accountability starts with you.
- You Fear Hard Decisions: Firing someone who’s dragging your business down or raising prices to reflect your value feels like a gut punch. I learned this the hard way, keeping clients who didn’t pay enough because I feared they’d walk. Spoiler: when you fear the tough calls, you’re not leading, but hiding.
- You’re Trapped in Operator Mode: Too many owners act like employees, buried in tasks they should delegate. My systems at The Automated Millionaire are built to free you from this trap, but you have to trust them. Stop micromanaging and start leading.
The Metaphysical Connection: Your Mind Shapes Your Reality
Let’s touch on something I’m passionate about: Metaphysics. Your thoughts create your reality. In The Little Prince, the king’s delusion of control mirrors the stories we tell ourselves. “I can’t fire them, they’re family,” or “I can’t charge more, the market won’t bear it.” These are lies you’re feeding yourself, and they’re keeping you stuck. The universe responds to clarity and action, not excuses. When you judge yourself rightly, as the king advises, you align your mind with abundance. That’s why my systems work for 97% of my clients – they commit to rewiring their mindset first.
Think about it: Every time you hesitate to raise prices, you’re telling the universe your work isn’t worth more. Every time you avoid a tough conversation, you’re signaling that mediocrity is fine. Judging yourself means owning these choices and choosing better. It’s not just business, but metaphysical alignment.
How to Judge Yourself Rightly and Lead
The king in The Little Prince was right: Judging yourself is the hardest task, but it’s the path to wisdom and wealth. Here’s how to start leading yourself today, based on the principles I’ve used to transform thousands of businesses:
- Face the Mirror: Write down one decision you’ve been avoiding. Maybe it’s firing that toxic employee or raising your rates. Be honest about why you’re stalling. Fear? Doubt? Own it, then act. My clients who face these truths see their profits soar.
- Set Ironclad Standards: My systems at The Automated Millionaire work because they’re built on simple discipline. No more 80-hour weeks. No more lowball clients. Set rules for yourself and stick to them. If you wouldn’t tolerate it from your team, don’t tolerate it from yourself.
- Charge Your Worth: Undercharging is a mindset killer. I’ve seen clients in HVAC, trucking, and retail double their margins by pricing their value, not their fear. Calculate what you deliver, then charge it. The right clients will pay.
- Delegate Like a Leader: You can’t scale if you’re doing everything. My systems automate and delegate, letting you focus on growth. Hire slowly, fire quickly, and build a team that runs without you. That’s how you move from operator to owner.
- Align Your Mindset: Visualize your business thriving. Feel the freedom of a profit-driven operation. Then act like that version of yourself now. Every decision should reflect the leader you want to be, not the one making excuses.
I’ve watched business owners transform their lives by judging themselves rightly and taking action. You can too.
Your Next Step
The king in The Little Prince said, “Then you shall judge yourself.” That’s your challenge today. Identify one way you’re failing to lead yourself – undercharging, avoiding conflict, or staying in the weeds, or not wanthing to face the fact that you don’t know how to fix your business.
Commit to fixing it, and source the help you need, find the systems that can amplify your results. Athletes have great coaches, business owners should learn from that and get their own coaches. Leading yourself isn’t easy, but it’s the only way to unstick your business and unlock the millions waiting for you.
What’s the one decision you’re committing to this week? Comment below or DM me to connect. Let’s make your business unstoppable.
