Read the classic management books on strategic planning. The process sounds so logical and clean. Same thing for human resource management tomes. You set up the processes and everyone plays well in your sandbox. Likewise for financial management. You track the numbers and make adjustments along the way as required. No muss, no fuss. So, for you as a private business owner, why is the work so messy?
Because the real world of running a private business is messy. The great management texts can be very helpful, but the perfect picture they paint does not appear on any small business canvas. Don’t let that get you down. You need to develop planning processes, HR processes, financial processes, sales and marketing processes, and production processes. But planning and running the business is inherently messy. You get your hands dirty almost every day, figuratively speaking.
Be proud of that! But also be committed to devoting adequate time and energy to the CEO work that looks so perfect in the textbooks, but comes out messy in the real world.