There are only two types of books that sit on Orbit’s Co-Founder, CPA & Director, Greg Dennis’ bookshelf – sports biographies and business advice. Despite originating from very different worlds, both of these genres have the common theme of effective leadership running through them. So it’s no surprise that combining them puts a spring in Greg’s step.
Whether you are on the field or in the office, leadership will make or break your team. To save you sifting through Greg’s extensive book collection, he has managed to consolidate his years of avid reading into nine nuggets of wisdom that will help you become a more effective leader. Greg has utilised these effective leadership techniques to grow a Friday night, gin and tonic-infused idea into the thriving Orbit family and bustling Sydney office we are today.
While not everything is in your control as a leader, all of these steps are – so no excuses.
Just do it.
Far too often, we get in the way of implementing our ideas without even realising. Instead of tackling tough decisions and challenging tasks head-on, we might gravitate towards refreshing our emails and other less pressing matters. Quit beating around the bush and limiting your business’s potential by prioritising your time to ensure the most important tasks get done. Unsure how to prioritise your tasks? Our Client Manager, Amelia Carey, has already expertly broken that down here.
Knuckling down on your north star.
Your vision is where you want the business to be in the future, while your values are the compass that drives the behaviour to get there. Every project and task you and your team commence should be aligned with the business’s values and achieving that vision. You and your team should be living and breathing your values, day in and day out. So if you haven’t already, clarify, articulate and get the whole team on board with the business’s vision and values ASAP.
Looking out for your team.
It’s a leader’s job to ensure the physical and emotional safety of their team at work. Providing a safe work environment and suitable facilities, having policies to protect people’s welfare, and creating room for feedback are a few ways you can accomplish this. Safety also goes beyond legal obligations; the safer employees feel at work, the more productive, innovative and loyal they will be.
You are only as good as your team.
There is no room for ego in leadership; part of being an effective leader is recognising your weak spots and finding the people who complement them. Form a team that is smarter than you in different ways and use your collective expertise to achieve results that are impossible to achieve alone. Teamwork goes hand in hand with trust, so build a culture of trust so that your team know they can rely on you and vice versa.
Get everyone on the same page.
There is more to setting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) than ensuring you are on track to achieve your business goals and targets. By tracking your team member’s contributions, KPIs can provide focus, clarity and a sense of fulfilment. If you haven’t already, this is your sign to set your team up with attainable KPIs to get everyone on board to reach your overarching goals.
Learn from your mistakes.
You learn more from your failures than you do from your successes; unless, of course, you don’t consider the lessons they provide. Instead of sweeping mistakes, challenges and difficult situations under the rug, look for the learning opportunity they present. Not only do mistakes make a fantastic source of learning, but they can also help you identify areas for improvement and innovation.
Sharpen up your skills.
Resilience helps you recover quickly from difficult situations; resourcefulness allows you to discover quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties. Resilience and resourcefulness are not only beneficial, if not a must-have, for effective leadership, but they are also imperative to the whole team. So be sure to build resilience and resourcefulness in your team and yourself. Start setting an example by asking for help when you need it, focusing on the solution instead of the problem, and taking responsibility for your actions.
Mindset is everything.
Mindset is the attitude you bring to your role as a leader. Do you have an abundance mindset or a scarcity mindset? Do you take ownership, accountability and responsibility for your actions? You reap what you sow, and your mindset has a significant impact on how you and your team feel about coming to work each day. If you want your team to take accountability for their actions and realise their potential, set the example.
Bring empathy and energy to the table.
Empathy is the ability to see things from another person’s perspective, and an effective leader utilises it. For example, instead of disciplining a team member for struggling, first, seek to understand why and then offer the necessary support and training required. It is unlikely your team is underperforming on purpose, investigating the root of the problem allows you to respond appropriately. Practising empathy will increase energy across your team and have a flow-on effect on the business and its results.
Putting it all together.
Utilising these nine leadership lessons, create a plan on how you can develop your leadership skills. Which one will you focus on first?
At Orbit, we empower other small businesses to chase their dreams and achieve their goals. Effective leadership is a vital piece to this puzzle and instrumental in creating a successful business. If you need a helping hand to implement these strategies to become an effective leader, book a chat or get in touch today.
