Eight Leadership Steps For Today's Shops

It's Your Business

When I was preparing this post, I discovered that the content and images regarding leadership are still fairly skewed towards men.  Images for women leadership still evolves around pink, swirly ribbons and women figures dancing, not sure what that is all about.

I also found content that still claim that leadership includes height, along with these other 3 indicators.

• Height
• Intelligence
• Extroversion
• Fluency 

Height....?  Height....?  It sound like an out-dated attribute?  Even, artificial.  Ahh, who am I kidding when we have the Kardashian women who pout, walk the red carpet and make millions.
     
...back to topic.

Given today's environment I think it is important that we have a quick list to help remind ourselves that happy employees are productive employees.  There may be not that many jobs out there today but once the economy starts to move and if your staff has been unhappy with you, you will probably see an exodus of staff leaving you for the competition. 

Here are your top eight leadership tips.

1. Honesty:  Be as honest as you can be about where the company is going.  Even though you are the boss, you can't do everything and you are probably not good at everything either.  That's why you hire people who are experts in their field. This also means that your staff looks to you for strength of character and integrity.
2. Trust:  Reward fairly.  Let the experts do what you hired them to do.  Ensure that they know you have a plan that will lead them out of this economy, whatever that may mean.    
3. Effective Communication:  This should be number 1, if you are not a fluid communicator - get training.  Not being shy is not the same thing as being an effective communicator.  Being an effective communicator includes across all the different mediums.  Also, share information, keep them informed.  In the end, to be an effective communicator means to be an active listener, fluid thinker, and know when to push and back-off.
4. Know your stuff:  The company, the players, culture, industry, know all of that. 
5. Motivate:  Difficult to do but motivating your staff should be according to their needs inline with your company's goal.  This one is difficult, more so if you have a small company.  Remember, one size leadership style does not fit all.
6. Direct:  Give clear directions.  Everyone should understand what is expected of them.
7. Responsibility:  Give your employees a sense of responsibility.  Not all employees want this and this is what makes a good leader, understand what motivates your employees.  
8. Focus:  So many shops just open their doors and then fail within the first 5 years.  Did you have a business plan?  This would have helped you in your focus.

Best
@aromaliving