http://youtu.be/8c31LaZqGAc

The Power of Leadership

First thought: Everything rises of falls on leadership.  Whether your business is a success or failure is all due to the leader.  The old saying, “the buck stops here” is exactly what we are talking about.  You are the leader and if things are not working right you need to adjust, grow or make changes.

As leaders, it is hard to see from our perspective.  We need someone from the outside giving us the reality of what is going on.  It is wise for any leader to have someone who holds them accountable to the tasks of leadership.  This person can be a spouse, partner, or hired agent.  It is crucial to understand your leadership and where you need to grow.  Here are some quotes we shared followed by a simple leadership evaluation

Definitions of Leadership:

Leadership is the ability to enlist the willing cooperation of others, while tapping into their highest skills and abilities, to achieve desired results. – Dale Carnegie

Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. – John Maxwell

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. – Dwight D. Eisenhower

You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want. – Zig Ziglar

*Note: I said in the video that if you help enough other people get what they want you are a leader.  The truth is exactly that.  Leaders help other people.  When you help someone on your team be better, your business grows.  When you help a customer be better, your business grows.  When you help one of your distributors be better, your business grows.

I hope you can see the power of being a leader.  When you truly define leadership for yourself and allow yourself to grow, your business grows with you.  Being an entrepreneur is the business of constant growth and development.  Embrace it!

Evaluating Your Leadership

Ask your accountability partner to answer these.  You answer them separately and see how the two match up.  If you want to really get the insight, allow your employees to do an anonymous poll, but make sure they understand there will be no repercussions . . . and there should not be!

Business owner Evaluation

Give me a grade on the following statement: A=Excellent; B=Mostly; C=Sort of; F=Nope

_____ I am a good example of the company’s mission and values.

_____ My employees feel like they are part of my team and not just workers.

_____ I am easily approachable if something in the business seems off.

_____ I listen well and encourage others to share their opinions.

_____I  resolve conflict by taking appropriate action quickly.

_____ I am a good communicator and make sure everyone knows what is going on in the company.

_____ I provide adequate training, coaching and participation for employees.

_____ When I delegate a task, I trust my team to accomplish their goals.

_____ I motivate my team to do the best work they can and encourage them to grow.

_____ I have the best interests of my people in mind.

Use a spreadsheet or have another teammate put together the overall grades. If you see a low pattern in one, work on that area.  If you scored high, get a new team. . . just kidding.  There should be something you need to work on and if you do not get good results ask your accountability person to be honest with you.

You may be the best boss ever, but we all have room to grow.  Take time to grow yourself and grow others so you can grow your business.

What is your personal definition of leadership? Share it on our Youtube or GooglePlus.