Why good leadership is like jet fuel for your business

Watching the magnitude of the events at the weekend left me reflecting on the exceptional quality of leadership and high levels of organisation that enabled such a complex programme to be arranged and delivered over such short a timescale.

It also re-affirms the importance of leadership to any organisation or business.

Here are my top seven reminders for good leadership:

1. It starts with having a clear plan and a focus on key objectives. If you have a clear idea on where you want your business to go and an understanding of how you are going to achieve your objectives, you have a great starting point.
2. “Multiplying the power of you” is a vital ingredient. The best leaders look to get the team involved, they delegate some responsibility and enable them to build on each other’s ideas. They ask for input and suggestions and reflect to the team these thoughts and ideas.
3. You need to create the right environment for them to perform. Transitioning from being a hands-on entrepreneur/owner or manager used to driving everything yourself to one that empowers others to take responsibility and accountability is not easy. Take the time to think about how you can go about this, perhaps ask others to chair internal meetings or let others take on the responsibility for delivering certain actions.
4. Give yourself time to spend with your team. In my experience, most business owners struggle with this, they find it easier to focus on what they need to do and do not appreciate the importance of what is understood by the team.
5. Improve your listening skills. Ask more questions, let them speak and develop their own thoughts. If you do this it will give you a better understanding of their comprehension of the objective or goal, and it will also provide a platform for you to help them to develop their own skills and confidence.
6. Make sure you review actions and plans regularly with your team. Ask them for progress review and updates and take the time to re-confirm that the objective is still important to the business.
7. Give people feedback, it is very valuable as it shows you have an interest in what they’re doing. It is also important to be balanced in your feedback. Be positive, explain what you like, give them some ideas where you think they can improve, but most of all leave them with a clear feeling that their contribution is valued.

This list is not exhaustive, however, if you can begin to consciously follow these tips you can start creating the right environment for your team to perform.

We work with many business leaders to help facilitate their development in these areas. Click here if you’d like to know more.

Our team at BHP Consulting have all successfully run companies, through good times and bad, and we understand that every business is unique. Our practical approach to supporting our clients enables us to share our real world experience to positively impact on the performance of your business. Whether you have a specific project you want help with, or are looking for a longer term sounding board or advisor to help you navigate upcoming challenges or opportunities, then get in touch. To arrange a call or an exploratory face-to-face meeting, please click here.