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As a business owner and leader, managing your business is a lot of work. This is usually doable at first. But as you start to grow, you have to find people to help manage it all. As this growth and expansion process continues, there will come a time when you will have to start delegating the “big” stuff to your team — not just the customer service and ordertaking stuff. For some, this is very hard to do.
Remember, you are a leader. It’s on you to lead by example. That means setting a positive example for your team by modeling the behaviors you want to see from them — trust, in this case. Don’t forget the other stuff, too, but if you’re the owner of a growing business, then you probably already have a strong work ethic, are collaborative, decisive, and business-minded. Trusting your business to others is often hard to do. After all, it takes years to build and only a moment to destroy.
Effective communication is key to everyting, including good leadership, and it’s especially critical to communicating with the employees to whom you delegate your business to. Of course, active listening and being clear and concise in your messages is key, but also providing regular feedback and updates in a positive way.
But there’s a catch. Delegation with micromanagement is a recipe for total disaster. Empower your team and provide them opportunities for growth and development, always encouraging their innovation and creativity. Lead them, don’t just manage them.
And remember that creating a positive work culture is a big part of motivating and engaging your team. This includes celebrating their successes, promoting work-life balance, and encouraging open communication.
Being a good leader requires ongoing learning and self-improvement. Seek out training and development opportunities of your own, solicit feedback from others, and stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices.
