As Gifford Thomas wrote on the Leadership First blog, “some people think a leader should have a complete set of skills, characteristics, and abilities to handle any problem, challenge, or opportunity that comes along. This myth of the “complete leader” can cause stress and frustration for leaders and their teams.”
As a small business owner, you are expected to wear many hats, jump in when necessary, handle every fire that arises. I can tell you first hand and as a witness to several other businesses I have been involved with, all it does is lead to the burnout of said “leader”. I often talk about a business I know – greatest workers on the planet bar none; managers/owners/executives (you can call them what you will) who will mop the floor, help with skids full of deliveries, inventory, balance the books, process the payroll, and every other thing you can think of. Are they leaders?
Not in the truest sense of the word. They cannot manage people. Oh sure, they can plan a schedule for their workers, get them in, get them paid. But training in their entity barely exists and allowing a person to be tasked with a complete A-to-Z task is a concept that is laughed at.
Thomas continues in his post, “No one person could possibly stay on top of everything, and the sooner leaders stop trying to be all things to all people, the better off their organizations will be. Great leaders know that their team is the backbone of the company and any success the organization achieves comes from its employee’s love of the company, the belief in the vision, and a strong attachment to the company’s purpose.”
Two-way communication between leaders and their staff is essential to move a company forward. Micromanaging can be avoided if the “boss” is stating what needs to be done, the parameters the work should stay within and the expected outcome or results. Company vision and purpose should be paramount in the day-to-day operations of a business and communicated well. An empathetic leader who understands where each of the staff is in their journey helps to foster open channels of communication and lesssens the chance of micromanaging.
Want to get further? Build a team that you can trust AND can trust YOU, the leader!
Check out Gifford Thomas & Leadership First at https://www.leadershipfirst.net/
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Jane Parmel, the creator of “The Profit Project”, helps women to powerfully transform their businesses by upleveling their money mindset, signature system and pricing to recognize their value and create a more profitable business through authentic marketing and efficient operations. She makes your bottom line the high point of your business! Jane is also the NY Global Business Connector for the Women Speakers Association, hosting events connecting women with resources to amplify their role as a “Phenomenal Message Maker” – clarifying their message, increasing their visibility, and growing their audience. Jane’s articles have appeared in BrainzMagazine.com; her upcoming collaborative book, Voices of the 21st Century: Resilient Women Who Rise (release date Feb. 23, 2021), and at janeparmel.com.
