Most of us will have had career defining experiences shaped by the people we work with – and most usually, those above. A great leader can make or break your experience of working life, and act as a catalyst to spur you on to success. It could be a great senior leader who inspires, engages and motivates you to try harder and better your performance and yourself. Equally, it could be that nightmare boss who tried to crush your confidence or take credit for your bright ideas. Either way, these role model figures are part of our formative experiences in the world of work – and may well have been part of the inspiration for you to start your own business.
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All of a sudden, you’ve become a leader yourself and starting hiring employees who will look to you for guidance. So, how do you make sure that your leadership acts as a guiding light for your team and has a positive impact on those around you?
After all, motivating your team to get the best out of them will only benefit your business. Successful leadership is a skill set of it’s own, but with a few pointers you can become the leader you always wanted to follow yourself.
Pick The Right Team
Without having the right team and support around you, especially in a small business where you are closely involved in each other’s work, you won’t achieve your own full leadership potential. The answer lies in getting recruitment right in the first place. Be clear on your organization’s mission and values and only hire those who display an affinity with those. Seek out those who have tailored their job application to the specific role rather than sending a blanket covering letter and look for resumes which have been carefully crafted – a tool like https://www.livecareer.com/resume-builder creates clean modern templates that display skills. If you successfully winnow down the run of the mill applications, you’ll end up with an exceptionally, talented team. With the right people on board, you’ll also be inspired to be a great leader for them – and be surrounded by great employees who are easy to guide and motivate. It’s a win win situation!
Communication and Caring
Poor communication is at the heart of many a misunderstanding in business, and can easily erode the confidence that others have in you as a leader. You may simply be super-busy, but if you don’t take the time to fill your team in on progress and developments, they will begin to fill in the blanks themselves, perhaps by assuming things aren’t going well or that you don’t know what’s going on, or they may simply disconnect from your mission. Have a quick brush up on your skills with https://www.success.com/6-communication-skills-that-will-make-you-a-better-leader/ to remind you what you need to be doing. Equally, don’t be afraid to show you care! As an entrepreneur, if you aren’t passionate about your own business, how can other people be expected to buy in? Remind your team that you care about what you’re doing and their welfare and engagement too by encouraging an open flow of dialogue. Every opinion matters, even if you don’t agree with it – it’s a good thing to be challenged on your beliefs from time to time!