People want to be guided …
People want to be guided by those they respect and who have a clear sense of direction.
So you have created your company. You have the talent, you have the vision, you have the infrastructure, you know where you want to take the business in the coming years, but how do you take everything and allow it to become a self-sustaining machine that will allow your company to grow?
Developing core values can become the philosophical pillars upon which your company is built, but that won’t happen unless owners and senior leaders set the example for everyone else in the company. It’s extremely important for a company’s leaders to “live it” when it comes to the guiding principles of your business.
I’ve seen many company’s become stagnant because leadership places demands on the staff that they are not willing to do or demonstrate themselves. Some of these business owners or senior leaders believe they have done their part by developing the business and giving people jobs, now it’s their turn. The expectation that the employees are going to want to work long and hard just because they have a job is foolish. It just doesn’t work this way.
People want to follow true leadership. People want to be guided by those they respect and who have a clear sense of direction. If your business is to flourish, your job as a leader is to work tirelessly to communicate with your employees in many different forms.
Every successful leader I speak with understands the power of communication and respect in an organization. They understand that when employees identify with the core values and why business decisions are made, they feel part of the team and want to take the organization to the next level.
So take a look at where your company is today and where it was when you started. If your business hasn’t truly moved to the next level and instead of adding employees to support your growth, you’re simply replacing staff that has left. You may want to take a deep look at what you may be doing wrong. “Keep in mind,” if you’re measuring revenue, remember the high cost of employee turnover. When you lose a good employee, you also lose their knowledge, skills and experience. Training someone new takes you away from those things necessary to move your business to that next level.