The captain of a ship is only as good as his (or her) crew. To build a successful business, first you must establish a work environment and leadership style that gives your employees the best opportunity to succeed.
Below are 7 tips to help you be a leader who inspires excellence in your employees.
- Don’t micromanage
Excessive supervision or trying to do everything “your way” is not the mark of a good leader. An effective leader delegates tasks to their employees and entrusts them to complete it, without standing over their shoulder, or worse, swooping in and taking control. If you undermine your employees by micromanaging them, your business will either have a high turnover rate or be filled with lackluster employees, who have lost the spark of innovation.
- Put family first
Your family should come before your business and the same courtesy should extend to your employees. Of course, you and your employees will need to reach a compromise and there are times when sacrifices will need to made, but family should be a priority. A good leader looks out for the best interests of their team, not just their business. Don’t make your team choose between being a good parent or spouse and being a good employee. Choose benefit packages that allow your employees to take care of their families, with healthcare provision and paid vacation time.
- Think before you ask
It’s easy to send a quick email and make requests of your employees when projects come to your attention, but be careful not to overburden your team. Delegation only works if the task can be completed in a realistic timeframe, not just when you want it done. Good employees will do everything in their power to meet deadlines, but to set them up for success, you need to be aware of the logistics of what you are asking of them. Blindly assigning projects that overlap and cause conflict with other project deadlines will make employees question your management skills.
- Make training a priority
Company training sessions don’t have to be torturous. In fact, training should be the time that you pitch the vision of your business and get people excited about working for your company. If the training process for new employees is boring, mismanaged, and insignificant, what will that say to employees about the value of their jobs? A training session done right should engage, encourage, and ensure that employees gain a strong understanding of their job description and expectations.
- Create a positive work culture
Actions really do speak louder than words. If you want a team of hardworking, loyal, and passionate employees, you and your leadership team must demonstrate those qualities to the best of your abilities. There is nothing more frustrating than working for a boss who dictates one way and acts another.
- Extend grace
People make mistakes. People have bad days, sometimes bad months. A main aspect of being a good leader is recognizing talent. So when good talent suddenly starts to slack, a constructive response is to get to the heart of the issue, not come down harder on that employee. Perhaps something difficult is happening in their personal life, or maybe they have been given tasks that don’t fit their talents.
- Leverage their strengths
Don’t just choose the right people for the job, choose the right jobs for the people. If you notice that an employee excels in interpersonal communication, maybe their current role of stocking merchandise or sitting behind a computer isn’t the best use of their talent. Allow flexibility in work procedures, so that you can make adjustments to fit the talents and strengths of your staff. Be on the lookout for new opportunities and ways that your employees can move up within the company.
Be the kind of boss you would want to work for
Behind most innovative and thriving companies is a leader who values the well-being and of their employees. A business that supports the staff and sets them up for success has a higher chance of gaining a loyal following. Customers want to do business with businesses that have a high reputation. The more effort you put into championing your team to success, the more popular your business will become in the industry and the market.
If your new business is looking to attract job seekers, consider offering the ability to work remotely. Consider the option of using a virtual office or renting an executive office space, it provides more flexibility for you and your employees as well as the option of customization. Instead of paying for an entire office building, you can just pay for the specific space or services your business needs. For more information, contact YourOffice. YourOffice has come alongside hundreds of businesses looking for everything from plug and play offices to full service virtual offices. We know your business is unique, and your office space shouldn’t be any different. Let us match the perfect space or service to fit your business needs.
