In order to be a successful entrepreneur and business owner, it is vitally important to cultivate strong leadership skills that will nurture the growth of both your company and your team. Here are five key traits of effective leadership that can help lay the groundwork for future success.
Find the right balance
If you want to be respected as a leader, you have to act like one. As much as you want to foster a relational environment with your employees, you have to be careful to cultivate a distinguished line of leadership. They will be watching you closely for cues on how to set the day-to-day pace, so be sure to lead by example and communicate effectively. Remember, you are the heart of your business. If you skip a beat, so does your organisation.
If at first you don’t succeed, try again
Failure is a valuable part of learning and can teach us lessons that success can’t. However, many workplaces often lose sight of this and don’t allow a safe space for viewing mistakes as opportunities for growth. Instead of reprimanding your employees when things go wrong, ask them what they learned from their experience and what they’ll do differently next time. We’re all human, and sometimes things just don’t go according to plan.
Cultivate a team mindset
Take the time to share your vision and goals with your employees, explaining to each of them how their unique personality and skill set fit into your organisation. Everyone wants to feel like they are a vital part of the work they are doing. As a leader, embrace the significant opportunity you have to influence your employees. Your support and involvement in their future will help motivate them, and you will be rewarded with their commitment, hard work, and good ideas.
Let it go
One of the key tools a leader can use to increase efficiency and develop leadership in others is delegation. Delegating your responsibilities not only enables you to complete other critical tasks, but it also allows your team to grow.
When you delegate tasks, you have more time to focus elsewhere, and your team has the opportunity to acquire different skills and take on additional responsibilities. It also allows you to see how various team members respond when faced with new challenges.
Invite others on the journey
Good leadership means telling the members of your team that they are part-owner of the final product or service. So take a step back and don’t micromanage. Trust the people you hired to do their job – and do it well. If you really want your employees to blossom in their roles, you need to give them room to grow.
Give them the gift of your belief in them. Your employees will flourish and succeed – fully confident in the knowledge that you have faith in them.
Leadership is so much more than just telling people what to do. It’s inviting others to come alongside you on your journey, sharing your vision for the future with them, taking the time to understand what motivates them, and then moulding it all together to successfully reach your goals as a team and organisation. By cultivating your leadership skills, you will be establishing a firm foundation on which both your business and your team will thrive.
Faye Ferris, APAC Sales and Marketing Director, BusinessesForSale.com
