Does your company need more leaders and less micromanagers? Sadly, for most small businesses, the answer is a resounding yes. Few people have the talent, or the mindset, never mind the training, to be good and effective managers. Leaders, however, seem born to it and it is leaders you need to not only grow but to thrive. So, how do you recognize one?
- The most important thing is that you, the small business owner, need to be a leader. In this way, you can bring your future leaders along and nurture them to run your company in such a way that it attracts the best people and can outproduce and outsell all of your rivals. The main driving feature of a leader is that they inspire the workforce to want to come to work everyday. They foster a climate of openness and honesty, of caring and communication. Having employees who are fired up about coming to work everyday is a valuable asset that not every company can inspire.
- They inspire your people with the infused spirit of collaboration. Everyone has value. Everyone is there because they bring unique talents and points of view to the company. They know everyone’s strengths and can balance them efficiently. They care nothing for negative energy and just ignore weaknesses. By focusing on the strengths, the weaknesses eventually fade away from never being fed. They ensure that the employees feel that they belong there, that they are making vital contributions to the success of the company. They can see the vision and it has meaning for them.
- They develop a system of success and can plug in those people where they are needed. They make sure that their employees are in the right jobs according to there strengths. They set everyone up to succeed. To make certain of this individual success, the leader fosters an environment of constant learning and training so that everyone has the tools to succeed. They realize the value of ongoing mentoring and coaching.
- Finally, they build an atmosphere and a culture of trust and reliability. They communicate effectively and make certain everyone knows why they are doing something. Above all, they have developed deep listening skills. They listen first and then make their decisions. They know that creating a culture of trust and collaboration leads to increased productivity and an employee turnover rate of nearly zero. They know if everyone feels inclusive, has a personal stake in the success of the business, then the company can’t help but succeed, grow and thrive for a long time to come.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
