There are certainly a hundred ways to make or break a business, but the most imperative is the kind of leader a company develops. Leaders all over the world are different from each other and they follow diverse strategies to lead and succeed. But when it comes to the ground rules of making a business grow on its own, all the great leaders stick to basics. So, what are these basics? Read on to learn more…
The first and foremost formula of leading a team is to know that with leadership comes power and with power, comes responsibilities. Now it’s up to the leader to decide what his or her responsibilities are. To rejoice in the power and create an environment of fear or to use this valuable power to encourage and empower his team.
You already know which of these choices lead to the path of success.
Know your team, but know yourself first
The leaders of the most successful teams in every genre – be it the Captain of the Indian Cricket team or the King of a jungle, their strength lies in knowing the strengths of their pack. But do you know what’s the prerequisite of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your team members? To know yours first.
If leaders in power know their strengths, weaknesses along with the emotional triggers and trappings, they find it easier to pick and guide a team that they can leverage to make up for their weaknesses which further leads to them empowering their teams in the right direction.
Solve problems, and sometimes, share yours as well
Your product might be solving a universal problem and deriving the well-deserved benefit from it, but are you as a leader paying heed to the problems which your team is facing?
When you make a sincere attempt to solve their problems, they make an honest attempt to solve the problems which your business might be facing or has the potential to face in the future. Also, being in power does not mean you are made of iron. Sharing your problems occasionally exhibits your human side as a leader which is as empowering as listening to your team’s problems and often leads to transparency which is one of the most vital stepping stones towards inspiring a team and achieving success in any ecosystem.
Trust VS Rust
The foundation of any successful business is the team behind it, and the only underrated technique to build a competent and committed team is to build between the leader and team a strong relationship of TRUST. Trust is a state where team members have absolute confidence in the intentions and actions of their peers, and when this does not happen, it becomes a relationship of what I call – RUST.
If you are blinded by the power of your position and don’t show trust in your team, your team will never feel empowered and this will affect the health and wealth of your business model & everything around.
Hence, don’t create followers, create leaders
Leadership is knowing and exercising your powers and duties, but great leadership is knowing how to inspire and empower your team to work in tandem with your goals and create leaders out of them because you are not just leading a team, you are building your tier-2 which will take your business in the direction of your dream vision.
So, what will you choose? To be in power or to empower?
