Three Quick Do's & Don't's of Small Business Leadership

Look, leadership is hard. I've seen people ace it, earning an abundance of respect from their peers, and I've seen people fail miserably at it. I'm sure you can look back and identify people you've worked with in both categories.

As someone who has worked with and studied many different styles of leaders, I have created a list of a few quick do's and don't's when it comes to the art of small business leadership. If you've found yourself guilty of one of these 'don't's', don't stress - we all make mistakes! I fully believe success is found in how you reflect on and use those mistakes to grow into the future. So, cheers to growth, wisdom and doing better tomorrow!

Disclaimer: This is not an exhaustive list. - I'll likely do more blog posts with quick leadership tips in the future.

Do: Have an obnoxious passion for what you do

One of the most frustrating situations I've worked in was with a leader who had no passion. This was obviously frustration because any request, suggestion, or complaint was met with the same attitude - it doesn't really matter. For things to matter to a team, they must matter to a leader. So, if you're a leader, find a way to restore your obnoxious passion for what you do. Maybe you aren't passionate about the product your firm manufactures, but you find passion in being the best damn leader your team has ever had. Or expand your service options into something that makes you excited. Anyway, you get the point - do what you must to find some passion again.

Don't: Face conflict with immaturity

This seems obvious, but you should probably avoid being immature if you want respect. Face criticism with an exploratory mindset. Why are you experiencing pushback? Understand your people, what makes them tick, and what really pisses them off. Then, when you're faced with opposition, you have the tools to deal with it. And hey, sometimes "dealing with it" means admitting you're wrong, apologizing and moving on. Extend grace to your people, and extend grace to yourself - it'll keep people happy and foster a culture of innovation and growth.

Do: Have an insane amount of humility

The best leader I've ever worked with has a masters from Harvard and a fully funded PhD from Oxford. Harvard and Oxford, with hundreds of thousands in scholarships. And she still made me feel like the smartest person in the room. How silly, hey? In the future, I'll dedicate an entire post to how awesome she is and how necessary humility is. But, sum up, don't forget to value your hired experts. Give them the tools to succeed, then sit back and watch. They don't need constant nagging or 'tips.' Your way isn't the only way. Put them on the right path, and then let them go. 9/10 times, they'll surprise you by accomplishing more than you could possibly imagine. Plus, letting people do things their way - as long as the outcome is satisfactory - can help eliminate groupthink, which is a significant inhibitor of innovation. Collective humility is a driving force of team innovation.

Conclusion

These are just three little pieces of advice, so I'm curious: what are some of your leadership do's and don't's? Let's start the conversation below!

And remember, you don't have to be in a management role to be a leader. In fact, some of the best leaders I've worked with have no official title at all.

Cheers, Friends.

Sam

About the photo: My husband and I spent a summer (our winter) working in Australia in 2022/23. His work is seasonal, so it jives really nicely with our southern hemisphere colleagues. I will never get enough of looking back on the outback sunsets from our time in NSW, Australia. You'll probably see many Australian photos here because it's our second home.