“Before you become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. After you become a leader, success is about growing others” Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric
There are three key areas I encourage all business leaders to address in their management planning. This then establishes a rock solid platform for them to lead their people to expand the business sustainably.
Mindset
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right”
Henry Ford
Our mindset is the key to our capacity for anything and everything. Before you take a single step towards action, your state of mind bears heavily on your capacity to succeed. This is just as true for the entrepreneur declaring visionary business plans through to the people they employ to bring that vision to life. When people put their hands to the plough to get the work done they need to possess a core belief that they can do the work, that it is worth doing, and that they will be acknowledged for doing it well.
This positive mindset will translate into powerful actions that make a defining difference to your company culture. As the captain of your business team, you can set up routines for communication, events and training which pave the way for this type of professional development. Lead the way in responding to changes with positivity, respect and flexibility. Demonstrate a willingness to learn new things to improve your performance, and accept advice with open-minded grace. You can also be big enough to admit and apologise for mistakes and errors openly with no reservation. Adopting this approach yourself will see it reflected in your team.
Time
“If you take care of the minutes the hours will take care of themselves”
Philip Dormer Stanhope
Your time is your most precious resource. In the hands of time you hold the powerful ability to manage your health and your relationships, fulfil your ambitions, make an impact, and build a legacy. It is vital that we fan the flame of these motivations in the workplace, by setting the bar high when it comes to making the most of the time available. Setting up guidelines to start and finish on time will help to demonstrate that every person’s time is valuable. Ensuring break times taken promptly and consistently will show how important it is to stay refreshed and recharged, always bringing your best game to work.
In business time is money, so efficiency and output are essential to business success. These outcomes are best built from a foundation of you honouring your team’s time first. This is how they will come to respect yours. Give your team what they need to be able to help you. Train them well so they know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Make resources readily available and set up for smooth transitions by batching tasks or stringing them together in longer sequences. This will improve flow and increase productivity to make the most out of every minute.
Team spirit
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
African Proverb
Building a business bigger than yourself relies on your ability to bring others on board to develop the vision, execute the action steps, push through seasons of hardship, and celebrate the wins when they come. The price of confusion, conflict, gossip and unhealthy competition is far greater than the unpleasant emotional experience of the moment. A team lacking unity cannot help but undermine the company’s growth. Their pursuit of a personal agenda will prevent the investment required to advance the greater company cause.
Fostering collegiality at work begins with the business owner establishing this core value within themselves. This will pave the way for deeds that spread a healthy team spirit that oozes unity and support. Make your business a safe place to take risks, learn new skills, and bring outstanding performance. Set the standard for team members to greet each other with positivity and enthusiasm to start every work day, and say goodbye and thank you to end every work day by doing it yourself. Thank your colleagues for their help, input, advice and support, and notice them replicate this gratitude. Acknowledge and congratulate your team for quality performance and excellent outcomes, and watch as they rise to the praise. Communicate clearly, forgive mistakes quickly, and ask for help when you need it, and watch it come back in spades. This is the type of leader who creates a positive team be being a positive team member.
“If your action inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more you are a leader”
John Quincy Adams
People won’t follow you unless you connect with their core human needs and demonstrate that investing in your vision will allow them to fulfil these needs and reach to new heights. In this day and age people want more than a paycheck.They want to learn and grow, making a real difference in the world, and participating in something greater than themselves. Entrepreneurs who lead their teams by leading themselves build more than a business. They build a legacy of leaders who dedicate themselves to exploring their potential, expanding their capacities and making a lasting impact on the people around them. This is how entrepreneurs change the world.
