A leader and a manager are two very different things. Leadership isn't a title or a position within your team, its about inspiring others to take action and empowering your people into being the best version of themselves. In 2023, companies that don't exhibit great leadership will find themselves lagging in the competitive market by rivals who put more value on leadership. One of the most effective ways to great leadership is embracing a people first culture, where leaders prioritize the needs and wellbeing of their employees over their own interests.
Here are 5 ways you can elevate your leaders in your business and build a solid team culture.
“The value of a true leadership is not measured by the work they do, but by the work they inspire others to do.” - Simon Sinek
1. Leading by example
As a leader in your business, your own actions speak louder than words and you'll be held to a higher standard than the average employee in the business.
By showing our people the behaviors, values and actions we would expect from them, we demonstrate that even you (the owner or manager) is committed to the accountability model of business operation. By using empathy and a 'seek to understand before being understood' demeanor, as well as a respect and genuine care for your team, you can set an example that the team will actually want to follow.
2. Leaders Eat Last
If you have never heard this term before - I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of Simon Sinek's best seller 'Leaders eat last' . The book absolutely changed my mindset as a leader of people and was fundamental in the culture building of my 7 figure home service business.
As leaders of teams, its our job to ensure that our people are happy, healthy and empowered to do great things. When our businesses evolve, our culture becomes fragile and can be decimated by just one single bad actor which can cause a team to fall out of love with the vision you have for the company. By making desicions with a 'Leaders eat last" mind set, we give our teams the confidence that their best interests are at heart. We do this by looking at what we can sacrifice to give others more - This could be for example - More time off, increases in compensation, more opportunities to grow within your company. When you reach 7 figures you will most likely have a team of 5+ people. This makes you a people development business that just so happens to .... (insert your service here)
3. Celebrate and learn as a team
Have you ever heard someone at work getting in trouble for missing a goal? This happens on a daily basis in most businesses and can be extremely detrimental to the entire team and promotes a culture of fear. This often leads to teams felling negative of the manager or owner and creates a divide between the team members.
When we celebrate the wins and recognize areas where WE as a team failed publicly, the whole tribe benefits from it. Doing this shows that not only do we truly value our individual players but also celebrate the team and environment for collectively reaching a goal. Subsequently when we publicly admit our failures as a team, we have the opportunity to include our people in the future avoidance of that and other failures.
We do this by asking questions such as - Where could we as a team have improved?, where could I as a leader have done better and what tools or systems are missing that could have helped us avoud this. Then all you have to do is stand back and gather feedback. This can bring other issues that you might not have even known about to the surface and give you an opportunity to correct a problem before it becomes an even bigger issue.
Consider adding a recognition and missing opportunities section to your team meeting each week.
4. Foster an open door environment
Ruling with an iron fist and the carrot and the stick methods have dominated industry for millennia. In todays world those methods no longer apply and can be the death of a business in a matter of days.
Studies have shown that the millennial or Gen Z employee values employee experience in equal doses to compensation. This includes the leaders approachability and the team members confidence level in bringing issues to them without fear of retribution.
When a leader fosters an open door policy into their management style, they promote a healthy feedback culture where our people can come to us and admit failure or bring up an on-going issue in the business that is holding them back from being their best.
Open up that door and let your people know they can come to you for advice and feedback anytime. If you dont feel confident on this just yet, consider having an annual survey on employee experience.
5. Commit to continued learning
Leadership isn't a label you get automatically once you've hired a team. It takes a while to become an effective one and takes constant upkeep as your team grows and develops.
As leaders we owe it to our teams to become the best version of ourselves that we can by constantly striving to learn new techniques and skills. I recommend reading at least 3-4 books on leadership each year and attending seminars by experienced leaders. Below is a list of some of my favorite books on leadership written by people who I admire as leaders in their own space.
Leaders eat last - Simon Sinek
People-First culture - Michael Falcon
The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership - John C. Maxwell
How to win friends and influence people - Dale Carnegie
These books will not only change the way you look at teams but also show you how you treat others around you generally.
In conclusion - In order to be great leaders - we must lead in all areas of our lives and set the example we wish to see in others. By following the 5 steps above, you can inspire, guide and empower your tribe to achieve their full potential and contribute to the overall success of the tribe.
Thanks for reading..........
If you would like to learn more about leadership or any other topic in the realm of business - Consider booking an introductory call with me to find out if coaching is for you. Brave works with hundreds of business leaders to build healthy functional businesses that are profitable.
See you soon!
Lee Miller
Founder / Coach
Brave Business Solutions
#simonsinek #leaderseatlast #peoplefirstculture #businesscoaching #homeservicebusinesscoach #bebrave #desiredfuturestate #braveacademy #bravemediagroup
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