FOROES

So You’re Good At Being A Boss. What About A Leader?

That’s undoubtedly the secret skill many CEOs miss in their mission to run a business. Running a business isn’t just about supervising operations and employees. You’re leading a vision. You’re directing your professionals. You’re an influence to them. Everyone always says being the “boss” and being “bossy” aren’t the same; that’s obviously true, but I say that being a “boss” and being “bossy” isn’t enough as being a leader.

That’s Why You Focus on These Five Areas of Leadership

Run the business just fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. You, however, are responsible for the personal growth and success of everyonein your business. They directly rely on you, which is why you firstly have to….

That simply means you have to understand that this isn’t going to be a cakewalk. It’s easy to run a business when you think about it. You have people who will technically do it for you. To lead, though, takes some serious interpersonal and social skills. Why else would people start with some of the grittiest jobs out there in customer service, sales and retail? That builds are most hardcore skills. Remember: you have them. Don’t forget where you came from. That’s where the heart of a true leader lies.

The quick fixes won’t often stick. They’re convenient, yes, but in a way, they’re band-aids, and they don’t last. Instead, as a leader, understand that the world isn’t perfect. Sometimes you face a challenge, and it rocks the boat hard. Let the boat rock. Sometimes the holes will poke through, and the boat might sink. That’s fine. You’ll wash up ashore, and you’ll still breathe the air. Get yourself back up, help your team get back on their feet, keep it moving, learn from it, grow from it, and prosper.

Why do you think the guy had a roundtable? His emphasis was that his knights were his equals. It apparently worked wonders for him. Treat your employees the same way. You may be their CEO, and this is your business; but in essence, as a leader, they’re your partners in the overall vision of success. Emphasize communication. Gain their understanding. Listen to their feedback. Offer them responsibilities. Give them a reason to belong with you.

We automatically think that we only need to trust our employees without reciprocation. It’s a given that you’re automatically doing the right thing for them. Instill in them the reason to believe in you. That two-way communication will be the fuel of the fire to help everyone trust everyone. Everyone has a right to speak. Best of all — if your employees trust you implicitly without the expectation, you can’t expect anything less than success.

Lastly, as always the case with every effective business lawyer enveloping himself or herself with multitudes of industries, the more you learn, the better you get. Don’t, however, just get better on your own. You can learn a lot from your employees.

That benefits them as well just knowing that you’re willing to learn from them. This is especially crucial given the tighter budgets, downsizing and ROI demands we often face in the corporate world, so above all else with technological advancements and efficiencies, utilize the one weapon you have with your business: your employees. Learn from them.

It Does Sound Like a Challenge….

I may have overwhelmed you a bit. Don’t be. Look at every motivated business lawyer out there tackling the massive challenges facing companies today — everything from healthcare reform to slow revenue streams for their clients — and know that perseverance is key.

You are a leader. And you can overcome anything. For sure, being a boss does the job. Being a leader makes sure everyone still has a job to do. Be that leader.

Matt Faustman is the CEO at UpCounsel. You can follow his business insights on Twitter at @upcounsel.

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