One would argue that only one factor cannot be the main reason as to why your company is a shining star. However, if you had to pick one aspect that makes the most difference, what would it be? In my opinion, the only logical answer is leadership, and not your average leadership, but an actual one that matters.
If you are a rather new entrepreneur who is just starting a new company, if you are an investor who wished to become part of a new startup, or even a CEO of an amazing company, everything you do will reflect on your company. The good news is that everything you will wind up doing will matter.
Among great leaders you will see a noteworthy combination of behaviors and traits. For the rest of us, the good news is that there are some things we can practice or even emulate on a daily basis:
Incorporate Vision While Leading. By having an amazing vision and by being able to convey that to others, your leadership will begin to matter even more given the fact that it will boil down to the strength of purpose.
Always Communicate when you are Leading. Accept the fact that the act of communicating is a two-way street. Moreover, you need to express both your vision and ideas with others. Allow them enough time to listen, process and disseminate the information. Also, take into account their concerns or even ideas.
When Leading, bring value to the table whether it’s in a meeting with employees, customers or clients. This will reflect that you actually care about their opinions or concerns and value their point of view.
Recognize the hard work of others while leading. Learn to appreciate and recognize the efforts of your employees, because you will treat people the way they and you know they should be treated.
Take time to invest in building strong relationships and partnerships. Connect with people (employees, customers, founders, investors) and surround yourself with amazing people. Leadership is so much more than personal strengths, that is why you should take the time to forge relationships that will last a lifetime.
Leaders always show a great deal of character. Character is fundamental when leading because it will reflect your integrity onto others.
Empower while leading. Do not be hesitant to empower others because this will boost their confidence and also show them that you have faith in their work and contribution to the team. Moreover, they will be encouraged to take ownership of their work.
Learn to admit that you do not have all the answers. Therefore, you should lead with questions. A great leader will always know that they simply cannot have all the answers.
Efficiency is another aspect which makes or breaks a leader. Every goal and important decision you make has to be backed up with strong arguments which you must present to your co-workers, investors or even clients. This is the only way in which you could actually convince people that you have a vision and believe in creating a better future for your company.
You simply cannot consider yourself a great leader until you are actually faced with difficult decisions that will echo in the long run. You will always find countless examples of leaders, however there are only a handful of great leaders out there and they are usually running high-performing companies or businesses.
The more you focus on these aspects of leadership, the easier it will be to make the best decisions. Moreover, you’ll be able to do it in less time and at a lower cost. Last but not leader, the results will definitely improve. I guarantee it!
When you are able to make whatever you may do matter, you are a leader that will actually matter.
