Do You Have the Leadership Traits to Grow Your Business

Grow Your Business

Do you have the leadership traits to grow your business? To grow your business you need grit and determination. I have run my online business for many years. I look back on days of scraping by and working hard to learn and succeed; being hungry to succeed. I work as hard now or even harder on my business, but most of that energy is spent running other people’s businesses. I want to focus on growing my business!

Running a business may seem simple. Start with a great idea, hire a few virtual workers and tell everybody what to do. In order to run a business effectively, you have to be a leader. Leadership goes far beyond replying to emails and barking orders. You are the one who sets the example for your workers. With the right leadership traits, you’ll gain your workers’ respect and grow your business at the same time.

Communicate

Don’t expect your virtual workers to always know what you want or even what they should be doing. Communicate what you are looking for. Tell them exactly what their responsibilities are and what the goals of the business are. Use both verbal and digital communication. Basically, create a team environment so everyone is on the same page.

Part of good communication is listening. Let everyone on your team know they can come to you with questions and concerns. Listen as well as you talk. I often make videos demonstrating a task. I come away feeling I have covered all my bases. Guess what? While a task may make sense to you, others may have questions. Taking the time to answer questions ensures tasks are completed correctly the first time. Listening also gives you the opportunity to hear new ideas which may help make your products and services better.

Accountability

No one wants to be the one blamed. However, everyone, including you, will make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to admit you’ve made a mistake. Set the example that everyone should be held accountable for their own mistakes. Problogger set a fine example of this back in 2013 by owning up to a mistake and turning a negative into a positive. Instead of wasting time playing the blame game, everyone can work together to fix the problem.

Delegate

It is hard to let go of the reins sometimes. However, you can’t do everything by yourself. Outsource to others and don’t micro-manage. Delegate tasks so the business is more productive. You’ll be less stressed, letting you focus on growing the business.

Forward Thinking

Businesses don’t grow by staying in the past. Many business owners prevent growth because they don’t want to implement new technologies or marketing strategies. They don’t want to improve upon existing ideas. A true leader is forward-thinking and willing to try new things. This means researching new trends, talking to workers, meeting with other entrepreneurs, and implementing new strategies.

Action-Oriented

A leader should serve as an inspiration to others. If you hire and expect others to do all the work, you’ll likely receive little respect. After all, if you put nothing into the company, why should they? Take an active role in your business. Instead of placing your business’s future in the hands of everyone else, actively work towards building and promoting your company. Action-oriented people are the least likely to fail and serve as motivators to not only their workers but other entrepreneurs as well.

You’ve already built a business. Become a leader and take full control. Implement these traits into your personality and you’ll find yourself feeling more confident and the business moving forward.