Leadership in Business

I’ve focused a lot on Attitude and meaning and other concepts which I feel are core to making a business successful, but now I want to start focusing on some more pragamatic applications which are equally as important when it comes to running a business.

The first aspect to consider is leadership. Whether you are a manager in a company, or a small business owner, or just someone who organizes local events, leadership development can play an important role in how your business grows and in how you develop your other strengths. Leadership can occur in different forms and contexts, but for leadership to work in any context or form, you need to understand what a leader does and does not do.

A leader does not micro-manage. In other words s/he doesn’t watch the every move of the people beneath him/her. If you have someone micro-managing you that person likely doesn’t really know how to lead and is too focused on trying to do your job to do his or her own job.

A leader does not offer destructive criticism. That kind of criticism destroys morale and undermines the efficacy of a business.

A leader does trust the people that works for him or her. S/he will offer just the right amount of information needed for a project and then let him/her work on that project, without constantly monitoring the person. A leader delegates responsibilities to the appropriate people.

A leader offers constructive criticism and good ideas to help the people doing tasks work better and more productively. Constructive criticism doesn’t focus on what’s wrong without offering feedback or a solution. Constructive criticism provides a forum for the expression of everyone so that a solution can be reached.

A leader, in the community, is someone involved in looking at the welfare of the community and asking how s/he can provide a direction to improve that community. The leader may be a public speaker, or the leader of a networking group or something similar. The leader looks for opportunities to give to the community, as well as provide structure for the development of the community.

When running a business, a leader is somebody who is never out of the spotlight. People look to the leader to provide them direction, certainty, and belief in the vision that informs what all of them are doing. A Leader can be vulnerable and honest about that vulnerability, but s/he must also show a willingness to take charge despite that vulnerability.

Being a leader involves knowing the people you work with as well as the people who interact with your company. A leader doesn’t restrict access to him or herself and considers everything carefully. S/he knows that what makes a leader is not just his/her own abilities, but also the will of the people who look to him/her to guide them.

Categories: Blog
Tags: Leadership, Qualities of leadership, Taylor Ellwood