Leadership is More Than Just Being in Front

 

If you are a solopreneur or small businessperson, why should you be concerned with leadership? 

 

As a business owner, you are automatically in a position of authority and leadership, even if you are the only employee in your business. If you have a small cadre of employees, you’re their leader, like it or not.

 

The most important task of a leader is to move those around you from where they are to where they should be; to the best place their natural abilities can take them. A true leader will never hold someone back for personal gain. If we think of where we are today, we can all acknowledge special people who helped us and encouraged us – who gave us the opportunities we needed, guided us when we made mistakes, and congratulated us when we succeeded.

 

 

Leadership is not about pride or position. If you’re seeking leadership merely for pride, status, and ego, you’re doing it wrong. A leader is in front, so they are able to reach down and help bring others up.

 

As a leader, you have tremendous influence on others. Your influence should help steer people in the right direction and set an example for honesty and generosity.

 

A leader is also charged with inspiring confidence, not only in themselves, but also in others. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, you’re hardly in a position to inspire it in others.

 

Even if you are a solopreneur, you still have a need to project an aura of leadership. As mentioned earlier, this starts with generosity and contributing to others’ success.

 

Your own leadership style will depend on your personality, your strengths, and your uniqueness. As any life coach will tell you – you need to be your authentic self. Trying to imitative someone else will only reveal you as a phony.

 

In today’s business world, projecting leadership, for better or worse, includes being professional in your appearance. As Malcolm Gladwell points out in his book Blink, The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, people make decisions about you in the blink of an eye, without even thinking about it. That’s why a professional appearance, as well as professional manners, is critical to leadership. People will unconsciously label you as a leader, or not, almost immediately.

 

A leader also doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Networking, being a member of a mastermind or similar group, are all ways to establish your leadership credentials. As mentioned earlier, a true leader doesn’t need to automatically lead or control every situation, group, or gathering. Organizations and events give you the opportunity to demonstrate your generosity, knowledge, and willingness to give so that others will succeed. When you do this, any group you join will recognize you as a leader.

 

William Arthur Wood, a leader and Canadian educator in the early 20^th century said: “Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination, on cooperation, not intimidation.”

 

The next time you're conducting performance reviews, here are three valuable questions you may want to add to the conversation: