A successful business doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, in the beginning stages of a business, you might find yourself working 12 to 14 hours a day, whatever it takes to get your business off the ground as quickly and efficiently as possible. A great start towards success has to have at least one thing from the get-go: outstanding leadership.
Everyone has their own definition of what a leader is and what responsibilities they should hold. Here are 3 great concepts to incorporate into your leadership style.
Be Flexible
We envision projects going a certain way, but sometimes due to circumstances beyond our control, the project takes a different path and changes must be made. No one can predict the future, and your team certainly doesn’t want to let you down. Remember that they are watching you, through the good and the bad, and how you react to a sudden change in plans will set the tone for the remainder of the project. As a strong leader, you must be able to calmly change course and face the challenges ahead with ease and patience.
Communicate Well and Communicate Often
Keeping an open line of communication with your team is vital. Sometimes, things can get misconstrued because your message has gone through too many managers before reaching the intended person. Always set clear expectations for your team members. Consider using email to generate a paper trail of communication. That way, if your team has any questions, they have a great frame of reference.
Hold huddles or team meetings as often as you see necessary. This gives your team an opportunity to ask questions then and there and opens the floor for new ideas.
Make Retention a Priority
In Chapter Two of Making Cents of a Dirty Business, Troy talks about the experiences that led him to understand that “the main cause of high employee turnover is self-inflicted through poor business practices on the part of managers and owners.”
Employee retention is critical. It will cost you big time to constantly train new employees only to have them leave a few months down the road. Focus on creating a fail-proof hiring system coupled with a thorough training program. If you don’t get it right the first time, make tweaks until you get it right. Hire the best talent and let them do what they do. Be there for them, coach them, and make them feel like they are needed, because they are!