Business Leadership Tips
Being a boss or business owner is easy. Being a leader; that’s a whole different story. It can be challenging to become capable of motivating & inspiring staff. Is this what you want to achieve? Look no further.
We’ve got a few tips on how you can improve your leadership skills and they’re not that complicated.
1. Lead by Example
This is where the famous saying ‘monkey see monkey do’ comes in.
Your employees will mimic your actions & attitude in the workplace. You can’t expect your employees to have a positive outlook in the workplace if you’re negative and grumpy most of the time. Teach yourself to show them what your business stands for & what you expect of them:
– Dress professionally: If it’s important to you that your employees are dressed appropriately, be sure to do the same.
– Be punctual: If you’re not on time for meetings or scheduled appointments your employees will also be negligent in that department. Follow the same rules your employees are following. Investing in a bionic clock in system such as the ones you’ll find on https://advancesystemsinc.com can help you keep track of the comings and goings of yourself & your employees. Clocking in daily will also show them that you’re committed to the company’s regulations & they’ll gladly follow.
– Put in the extra hours: Don’t expect your staff to work late hours often when you’re taking days off too often. Show them that you’re also putting in extra effort to reach targets by working late with them occasionally.
– Don’t gossip: Treat all your staff the same & don’t engage in gossip. You’ll gain trust & respect from your employees if you show the same interest in everyone. If your staff members notice you don’t have time to talk about other employees they’ll most likely follow your lead.
2. Communication Is Key
Have you ever felt frustrated when someone is clearly not listening or not interested in anything you have to say? Your employees won’t see you as part of the team if all you do is talk without listening to them once in a while.
Make time to listen to each of them & acknowledge their input. Studies show that raising your voice will let most employees automatically shut down. Not very helpful if you’re trying to get a point across.
Follow these communication tips to ensure your workers have respect for you:
– Talk slower: No, we’re not saying you should be little your workers by purposely speaking too slow. How many times have you been in a hurry & explained something faster than you usually would? This can create confusion in the workplace & your employees might not feel comfortable enough to ask you to repeat yourself. Take time when explaining certain expectations & tasks to your employees.
– Don’t raise your voice: We know it can be frustrating to manage different employees with different personalities. But when you stay calm in difficult situations you’ll show your employees that you’re in control. People tend to trust calmer people easier.
– All about you: Don’t make conversations all about you & your goals. Ask your employees where they want to grow & how they feel about certain aspects. This will create a safe platform for them to communicate with you freely & easily.
These tactics are for your workers’ benefit but it will also maximize productivity so all parties win!
3. Set Clear Boundaries
Are you ‘Mister Nice Guy’ at work? Although you should be friendly towards your staff. Balance is the most important part of being a good leader. People appreciate clear boundaries so set them. Let your staff know what’s appropriate & what’s unacceptable. They should never forget that you’re still the employer & they should respect you at all times.
4. Training
You probably have a list of training courses lined up for your employees. But what about you? When last did you do a proper leadership course?
Don’t forget about the important role training plays in leadership. This can include a psychology or a personality test course to understand your employees better. If it’s been a while since you’ve had some sort of training you should be looking into that.
5. A Leader for A Leader
Who’s your mentor? Do you have someone you can look up to in a leader position? Having someone to ask questions and draw advice from is a key to success. If you don’t have this yet read books on successful business leaders across the world to see how they’ve earned their success.
6. Create A Fun Environment
You don’t have to hire Jerry the clown to entertain your staff. However creating an environment your staff looks forward to be part of will make a huge difference in the productivity & dedication you’ll receive from your staff.
Here are a few things you can do to keep your staff motivated:
– Team building: Arrange fun teambuilding days once a month where your staff members can relax & unwind.
– Year end functions: Ending the year with a bang is just as important as starting it off with a celebration. Show your staff you appreciate the work they’ve put in during the year by planning exciting year end functions.
– Incentives: Do you like to feel appreciated? So does your staff. Have incentives in place for employees that perform well or reach certain goals. Vouchers & bonuses are great ways to spoil your employees.
– Eat & be merry: Why not schedule lunch with a difference once a month? Every staff member can get a turn to bring snacks or baked goodies that you can all enjoy together during lunch.
Once again the cohesion and loyalty you obtain from this will benefit your business but most important is you’ll be acting like a true leader instead of only a boss.
Can you see why we started off by saying being a leader is not always an easy task? If you want your staff to feel comfortable to follow you, you must become someone with different abilities & skills. Think of traits a leader must have you’d want to follow & take time to grow into that leader for your staff. They deserve the best version of you.