The Right Leader
Running a business with employees can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Not only are you able to work with people who are also working to improve your business, but you're able to grow it in ways that simply wouldn't be possible if you were running the business by yourself.
However, it's a mistake to think about employees purely in terms as a resource to be used. You need to make sure that you're being the leader that your employees really need you to be.
Luckily, there are a few simple things that you can do in order to do that.
Lead by Example
There are plenty of business owners out there who seem to think that their job is simply to tell their employees what to do. That is regardless of what they, themselves are doing.
For one thing, if you're just sitting around telling your employees what to do then they're going to feel pretty resentful of you. Not only that but if you're not leading by example , it's going to be that much harder for you. You will not fully appreciate the challenges that difficulties that your employees face on a day to day basis.
If you want to make sure that you and your employees are all pushing in the same direction then being able to connect with what they're doing at work is one of the best ways to deal with that.
When I pass on work to my freelancers here I always pass on work I could do myself but don't have the time to do. I let them find the "how to" or method that they want to achieve the end result. People perform better when they have freedom to do it HOW they want.
Be Open to Feedback as the Right Leader
As the business owner, you're likely to be used to being the one who gives out the instructions and direction. However, it's important to remember that your employees often have a different perspective that can be just as valuable as yours.
Sure, you might be at the top with the bird's-eye view, but your employees are the ones in the trenches. Therefore, they know the day to day functions of your business better than anyone.
You need to be willing to listen to their feedback. That way, you always know exactly what is happening in your business. I have a few freelancers who have different personalities than myself and this helps in promoting Inspire To Thrive.
They have a whole different way of looking at things and with wording promotional content for me. Going forward I look for people with traits I don't have to help me along my business's path.
Know When You're Not the Expert
In the same way that you might not be able to see things that your employees see, you also need to remember that sometimes there are going to be people who know a whole lot more than you.
Accepting your limitations is one of the most important things you can do as a business owner. Being able to step back and hire a conference speaker to provide training to your employees, or being able to let employees take the wheel in certain situations might be difficult, but it's also incredibly important.
If you have been a reader here for some time you know I hired an SEO freelancer this year to help me as my business grows. Why spend time on something so technical when you can spend that time growing your business? It didn't make sense for me to continue doing my own SEO here.
Make sure that you never let your ego get in the way of running your business.
Remember that it's not just a matter of you being the boss and your employees doing what they're told. Instead, you need to think of your business as a single organism with you as the brain and your employees as the muscles.
If any of you stopped working, the entire thing would shut down entirely. Sure, you might be running the show, but that doesn't mean that everyone else in your business isn't incredibly important as well.
How do you lead others in your business? I'd love to know more in the comments below!
