Few people start a business because they want to become a leader – yet good leadership is essential for a business to thrive.
Despite the saying, no-one is a born leader; the skills must be learned. One of the best places to learn is from an experienced mentor who has already shown they can lead. Think back to the best boss you ever met. That's the template to aim for.
Oliver Hill, HP New Zealand Country Manager, says now more than ever "business moves fast, so leaders must too". HP is helping Kiwi businesses stay connected, secure and productive for the future ahead.
"Not only is change inevitable, it's critical as leaders that we accept and embrace change. Staying still is no longer an option and, as technology adapts, so must our skills and ways of thinking or you risk getting left behind," Hill says.
Here are seven ways great business leaders get the best from their people:
Get your own act together first
People will take their cue from you. Be the worker you want to see in your team. Lead by example. Among other things, that means adopting a can-do attitude. It's not necessary to act as if you are happy all the time, that would be unnatural – but avoid whinging and blaming team members for mistakes in front of others. Treat problems as challenges for everyone to work on and solve.
Team building
A leader gets the best from everyone he or she works with. You are all in this together. Treat them as a team and think of them as a team. Use the language of teams rather than talking about your employees or subordinates. Have team meetings and invite everyone to contribute. Make everyone feel valued. If you are a sports fan, observe how great team leaders operate on the field – and often that means leading from the front.
Be a teacher
Standing still means falling behind competitors who are moving forward. Even if you hire people with all the skills and experience needed to do their job, there will be a continual stream of new things to learn, new technologies, new tools and new opportunities. Your people need to grow, develop and take on more responsibilities. Most of the time you are the best person to teach your team. The hours you put into showing people how to work better will pay off many times over.
Delegation
If you try to do everything yourself, you'll fail. Learn how to parcel work out to others. Show you trust them to make decisions and take risks but make sure you are on hand if they need advice or a safety net. Giving people new tasks is a great way to help them learn new skills and will allow you to uncover hidden talents in your team. Many people are motivated by challenging work.
Learn to listen
You don't know everything. The people you work with will often have insights into your business you may not have seen. Encourage them to talk about what they do, what they see and their ideas. Accept feedback or criticism given in good faith. Set aside time in your schedule to hear people individually and give them your undivided attention when they speak. Sometimes the discussion will be about what people want from you. If it can't be done, make it clear. A leader has to learn how to say 'no'. It's fine to tell someone it may be possible to act later but don't use this as an excuse to continually kick things down the road.
Deliver
Along the way, you will make commitments to people who work for you. It may be the promise of more training, time off or to upgrade tools they need to do the job. Failing to deliver on promises is a sure-fire way of demotivating people. They will feel you didn't listen or take them seriously when you did.
Make a note in writing of everything you tell people that you will do. That will stop you from forgetting, which is understandable when there is so much on your plate but not helpful from a people management perspective. It may help to put these promises, along with delivery dates, in your calendar so you can deliver on time. When you deliver, gently remind your team member or members of the importance of doing what you said you would. That will reinforce their resolve to deliver on their own commitments.
Relax
Try to be relaxed around your people. If you are tense, you could unsettle everyone else. You don't have to be the world's best leader; you only have to be good at managing people. That will put you streets ahead of most of your competition. Being good is about getting the basics right, learning, leading from the front and building the right relations with your team. Tick those boxes and you will prosper.
Whether you are a start-up business or developing new ways to grow and adapt, HP has a range of business PCs and printers you can rely on so you can focus on the things that matter. www.hp.co.nz/hpforbusiness