Potential Plus founder Oona Collins recently spoke to Metro (the UK’s highest-circulation daily free newspaper) about how to avoid ruining relationships when going into business with friends.

Starting a business with friends can put a lot of strain on the best of relationships. Many close friendships have been destroyed by the pressures of running a business together.

The success of a business is reliant on key relationships working. There often comes a point after a few years though that those relationships stop working. Sometimes it is because each individual’s role has not evolved and they are stuck doing something they are no longer enjoying, or it could be because what they each want to get out of the business has changed.

Self-awareness is an essential part of successful leadership. Establishing a high level of awareness about yourself is one of the hardest things to do, but your closest friends usually know you better than you know yourself. If you can harness that knowledge and understanding of each other and the differences between you, then it can become a powerful tool for helping the other be the best leader they can be. This will have an immense impact on the wider business and help drive growth.

Read the full article here.