There will come a time in every business when you need to restructure and revitalize your leadership team. There’s nothing wrong with this! It just means you care about the health of what you have created.
The real challenge will be to grow your team into a strategically based leadership. This will allow your company to continue to develop and problem solve instead of caving when things get tough. This blog contains simple tools and tips on how to become more strategic in your leadership.
Decide Who To Develop
Employees usually make it to the hierarchy of a company by displaying “typical” leadership habits. These traits might include problem solving skills, ambition to grow, the ability to lead initiatives well etc. However great these skills are, they are not traits of a strategic leader.
The biggest difference between a loyal employee and a strategic leader is this: A loyal employee will see that the trash can near their desk is always full. He/she will empty that trash can week in and week out. Why? Because that was the quickest way to temporarily fix the issue. A strategic leader will find out why that trash can is never taken out and figure out a way to get the facilities team involved. As a business owner, you need to have a strategic problem solver on your leadership team, not just someone that will create a temporary fix for a problem that is bigger than what he/she can see.
Before you move forward in your plan to grow your leadership, it is so important to know who you should go after. It will require observation and staying “in the know” about which team members you can give the green light.
Details Are Important
Most people in leadership fail to realize that it is the “do or die” moments that require strategic leadership. When your company meets the crossroads of decision making, you will be able to see how certain leaders react and problem solve. These types of moments will create gaps and bring light to those who struggle with their strategies.
Business owners think that staying at 30,000 feet is the best way to oversee the success of their systems when in reality, they should be at 3,000 feet. In other words, instead of being the visionary 100% of the time and just checking in from time to time, it would be in your best interest to be involved in the process.
Systems and structure are the foundation to strategic leadership. You are responsible for making sure these things are in place and are still working. Are your team members following along with the structure, or are they creating their own? This is one of many questions you will be able to answer if you stay involved in the details.
The Answer Is Right In Front Of You
You may be thinking that the solution to improving your team is to bring a leadership expert in. However, studies have shown that resourcing within your business to make the improvements necessary will lead to the best results.
Have you ever encountered someone that came into your household or place of business and tried to recreate everything you’ve already established? That is exactly what it would feel like if you did this to reconstruct your leadership. In order to successfully grow your team, they need to be able to trust you.
Trust is established over time and with structured consistency. There is nothing consistent about bringing someone in who looks like they have it all together. Your team needs to hear from you and people they’ve known or worked with over a long period of time in order to produce the best results.
Re-building your leadership team from the ground up is no simple task, but your business will be better because of it. Once you have established a game plan for growth, you’ll want to include check-points along the way to make sure what you’ve come up with is working and will continue to fulfill the goals you have. You can do this!