Ep 32 - Leading with Impact: The 4 Key Strategies for Small Business Owners

(Note: This transcript was computer-generated.)

In this episode, we shatter the myth that having a team automatically solves all your problems. Because the cold truth is without effective leadership, your ship might still sink. Join us as we unravel the 4 crucial steps every CEO must take to lead with impact. From developing a crystal clear vision to fostering open communication and leading by example, I've got the blueprint for transforming your team into a powerhouse. Don't just be the boss. Be the captain steering your business towards success. Tune in and revolutionize your leadership game. Are you that driven entrepreneur who believes that working harder holds the key to your dreams? Are you drowning in the day day task wishing you had more time to strategize and cast the vision for your business growth? Hi.

I'm Donna Dube, your guide on this entrepreneurial journey. I've walked in your shoes, burning the midnight oil, convinced that sheer hard work was the secret to success. Just 1 more email, 1 more task until I found myself on a one way track to burnout. But here's the twist in the scale. I discovered that success isn't just about working harder. It's about working smarter. It's about being intentional with our time. It's about steering our ship with focus, because no team, system, or automation can outperform a lack of direction.

In this podcast, I'm sharing with you all the strategies for business growth that it took me years to learn. If you're ready to step out of the daily overwhelm so you can amplify your profits, then I'm ready to teach you. I believe the only limit to your business growth is the one you set for yourself. Go grab a notebook, warm up that cup of tea, and let's do this. Hi there entrepreneurs. Today I've got an exclusive invitation just for you. Join me for a 3 day live event happening in March, the sustainable business blueprint, where we'll be crafting your personalized 12 month profit plan. No more generic solutions, just strategies tailored to your vision and goals.

Ready to turn your dreams into a roadmap for success? Join me from March 6-8, 2024, and let's make it happen. Time to learn and implement right on the call. Secure your spot today at ceoamplify.ca/sustainable. Don't miss out on this game changing opportunity. I can't wait to see you there. That's ceoamplify.ca/sustainable. Welcome back CEOs. I hope you're having a great week. Today I want to dive deep into a topic that's often underestimated and that is the art of leadership within your business. Now, I know you've heard me emphasize the importance of hiring experts to tackle tasks in your business that just don't align with your strengths. It's the cornerstone of effective delegation and operational efficiency. But here's the thing, my fellow CEO, simply having a team won't magically fix everything.

Oh, the shock. Yes, I said it. This is the cold hard truth. Simply having a team will not fix everything in your business. And in fact, if not done correctly, may lead to more problems. So let's spell it out a little bit. Your team is the heartbeat of your business, whether you're a team of 1 or a bustling crew of 100. Your team are the brains and the heart that connect with your customers.

They are the face of your business, the engine of growth, and the source of invaluable insights that you might not even possess. So let me give you an example. Imagine you run a bakery, and you're an absolute wizard when it comes to baking. You've assembled a dream team of customer service experts and marketing gurus. They know your cupcakes inside and out. But here's the twist. If you don't provide clear leadership and a rock solid foundation, your cupcake business might still crumble. While the cupcakes may taste great, and the price is easy for people to accept, if you're not stepping up and leading your team, your marketing and your customer service experts might fall plan, leading to less people finding out about your bakery and even less wanting to return.

So what does it take to be the captain of your ship, steering it toward the land of success? Let's break it down into 4 actionable steps that good leaders take. Alright. I hope you got your pen and paper ready. 1st step, develop a clear vision. In podcast episode number 3, your CEO job description, divining your role for success, I talk quite a bit about developing your vision. So if you want to just head back for a refresher, that's episode number 3. I want you to think of your vision as the lighthouse guiding your ship. You need to take time to articulate your vision, your mission, your goals, and your objectives to your team with laser like clarity.

Because when your team knows where they're headed, it's so much easier for everyone to be rowing in the same direction. Your team will murk more confidently and more efficiently. So developing a clear vision is more than just saying where you want to go. It's about crafting a narrative that resonates with your team, painting a vivid picture of the future you're building together, and use storytelling to help connect your vision with their everyday tasks. So let's go back to our bakery example for a minute. When you, as the business owner, take the time to lead your team by being clear on your vision, it makes the world of difference. So you might say, Team, our mission is to bake the most delicious cupcakes in the state. Our goal is to make 1,000 customers smile every week.

Another one of our goals is to expand to 3 new locations in the next year. When you lay it out crystal clear like that, everyone knows the destination, and they're all rowing the boat in the same direction. So getting crystal clear on your vision and being able to articulate that to your team. Alright. Number 2, foster open communication. Your team should feel not just comfortable, but really encouraged to share their thoughts, their ideas, and their concerns. You need to create a safe and inclusive environment where ideas can flow freely and feedback, quite frankly, is a two way street. It's more than just setting up suggestion boxes.

It's really about creating a culture where every voice matters. Encouraging brainstorming sessions, holding regular 1 on ones with your team members, and actively seeking out their feedback. So again, back to our bakery example. Let's say 1 of your team members comes to you and says, I think we could make our cupcakes even better if we switched to organic ingredients. When you're leading the correct way, you listen attentively, you encourage the dialogue, and you keep an open mind. Deciding to make the switch certainly doesn't need to happen on the spot, but being available and leading with an open mind goes a long way. It's about valuing your team's input and suggestions and believing that they have value and that they have something to say that you might not even know. Okay.

Step number 3, leading by example. As the CEO of your business, you are the boss, in air quotes, from the view that your team members have. Your actions speak louder than your words. By demonstrating the qualities that you expect from your team, whether that's integrity, accountability, a strong work ethic, you lead them by example of what you expect from them. It's it's about consistency, really. Your action should be a mirror reflecting the values and the work ethic you expect from your team. But you know what, leaders? It's also about humility. Because admitting when you make mistakes and showing that you're constantly learning and growing is so so important.

This reminds me a lot of my parenting journey. You know, our kids are like sponges, and they seem to be able to soak up our bad habits way easier than our good ones. The same is true with our team. If we treat people with disrespect, but claim that one of our values is respect, there's a misalignment there, and it's going to be very obvious to your team members. Alright. The 4th piece is embracing change and adaptability. So as online business owners, we know that the landscape is ever evolving and changing. If there's one thing that is constant, it's change.

Encourage your team to be flexible, innovative, and open to new ideas. And this usually requires a bit of a mindset shift, right? Because instead of seeing change as a threat, embrace it as an opportunity. Encourage your team to stay updated on industry trends, to experiment with new approaches, and most importantly, to learn from failures. I mean, we all seen this the last couple of years where many brick and mortar businesses had to pivot to the online format. And now with the introduction of AI, again, we're reshaping content creation and many aspects of running our business if we choose to embrace it. Remember, leadership isn't just about calling the shots. It's about creating an environment where your team can thrive, where their brilliance combined with yours propels your business forward. A team without a leader is like a ship without a captain.

So your leadership isn't just a role. It's a responsibility, and your team is one of your greatest assets. Lead them with clarity, communicating openly. Set the example, embrace changes, invest in their growth, recognize their efforts, and promote that work life balance. Alright. I hope this episode was helpful for you. Until next time, keep amplifying your business and your life. Thank you for joining me on this episode of CEO Amplify.

I appreciate you being part of our thriving community of ambitious business owners. If you enjoy today's episode, kindly ask you to share this podcast with a friend and take a hot minute to rate and leave a review, it would mean the world to me. Your feedback helps me reach more people and continue providing valuable content. Thanks so much for your support. Keep shining, and we'll catch you on the next episode.