Tips for Becoming a Great Leader

Small business owners require leadership capabilities to guide their employees and company to success. They need to be able to motivate their employees by selling them the company vision because motivated employees are dedicated to their tasks and work hard to ensure the company’s success. These are a few tips to help you become a great leader.

Create a Mission and Vision

Your first business task should be creating a mission statement. This statement tells your stakeholders what business you are in and why. It is the reason you opened the business. After you create a mission statement, create a vision. You need an overall vision of what you hope the company will become and how it will get there, but you should also develop visions for the individual departments of the company.

You may then address how your vision will help others. For example, how will people’s lives be changed? Look for ways to make a difference that are unlike what anyone else is doing. Visions can also be broken into timeframes depending on the goals they are linked to. Finally share your overall vision with your employees, but share individualized or departmental visions as well. Write the vision or create visuals that can be displayed throughout the company. Your company goals will be based on these visions.

Promote Clear, Open Communication

Accept that some people understand concepts and wording differently than you do. For example, some learn or understand concepts better by hearing them, while others need to read or see them. Make your communications adaptable so that everyone in your company understands what you are saying. This is especially important in training or process documentation.

Learn to listen. Instead of considering how you will respond, listen to what others are saying. Sometimes, people just need to be heard. Ask questions and avoid giving advice or opinions unless you are asked for them.

Focus on feedback. You should both give and receive feedback. Ask for feedback from your customers , partners and employees. Don’t hesitate to give feedback as well, but make sure it is constructive and given with kindness.

Promote an open-door policy and encourage your stakeholders to contact you at any time with any concerns or ideas.

Update your SWOT Analysis

You should always keep your SWOT analysis current. Then, find ways to exploit your strengths and opportunities to expand your company. You can also address your weaknesses through creative hiring or outsourcing. Finally, evaluate your threats and create strategies to overcome them.

Great leaders know their strengths and weaknesses. They are open to new ideas and feedback. They trust their employees, and they listen and communicate openly. Although many say that leadership is an inherent quality, it can be learned.