1 Challenge

• “I think I’m a good manager. But I’m not sure if I’m a good leader”

2 Questions

• “What is the difference between a manager and a leader?”
• “What are the most important qualities of a good leader?”

3 Ideas

• Self-discipline and Self-improvement
• Communication
• Accountability

“Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things.”

–Peter Drucker

Many people assume that management and leadership are synonymous. Nothing could be further from the truth. Management is about ensuring that a group of individuals or a team or business unit delivers its intended output.

According to this classic article from Harvard Business Review (HBR), managers have subordinates, and they cultivate “circles of power”. But leadership is more about cultivating “circles of influence”, and motivating people to work together in order to meet the organisation’s vision. Managers simply administer the day-to-day work and ensure it gets completed, while leaders inspire their followers to learn, do and be more as they collectively pursue common goals.

Every small business needs competent managers to plan work, set SMART goals, leverage resources with the right skills, and ensure that the company achieves its objectives. These managers hold authority over their subordinates, come up with ideas to improve deliverables or timeliness, and tell people what to do, when, and how.

However, small businesses also need leaders. In fact, they need visionary leaders even more than they need competent managers. These leaders can inspire, coach and mentor their people, give direction, and ensure that everyone works towards a greater good. Leaders are responsible for setting the company’s long-term business strategy. They’re also critical drivers of the company’s culture.

To succeed as a leader, every small business owner must have three critical leadership skills. What are these skills? Read on to know more.

1. Self-discipline and Self-improvement

If you will be leading others, why do you need to develop discipline in yourself? There are many reasons.

One, because self-discipline is the mark of a great leader. Think Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela or Angela Merkel. All these leaders developed self-discipline in themselves that allowed them to competently lead others, and get the best possible results from them. Also, as a leader, you must be able to control and motivate yourself. You should also be able to set goals, and stay on track to achieve those goals. Along the way, commitment, consistency and patience are essential, and only someone who is self-disciplined and focused can develop these qualities in themselves.

Along with self-discipline, self-improvement is also a critical leadership quality. Are you aware of your weaknesses and improvement areas? What do you do to address these areas? Do you take charge of your own growth, learning and development? Or do you wait for someone to guide you? Work on yourself before you can help others work on themselves. When you do, you will develop a reputation as a strong leader that others listen to and are inspired by.

2. Communication

Great leaders are almost always great communicators. But don’t mistake loud speech, confidence and boasting with leadership. Anyone can appear confident, speak loudly, and generally hog the limelight. This doesn’t make them influential leaders. It takes a genuine leader to speak in a way that makes others want to listen. Martin Luther King was a compelling speaker, and so was Mahatma Gandhi. People still listened to them. More importantly, they took action after listening to them. The Quit India Movement would have never happened without Gandhi, and people still quote Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech, almost 60 years later.

How do you communicate with your small team? Do you inspire and engage? Or do you condescend and order? Do your people listen to you and feel inspired by your words? Or do they simply do what you tell them to do because “it’s my job”?

As a small business leader, you wear many hats, and will have to deal with many people, including employees, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders. To ensure that you get the best possible results from every interaction, you must improve your communication skills. For this, you must:

• Practice active listening
• Pay attention to non-verbal cues (e.g. body language)
• Manage your own emotions
• Ask questions
• Show respect even if you disagree with someone
• Don’t interrupt
• Avoid using conversation fillers
• Make eye contact
• Invite feedback and suggestions

3. Accountability

It is rumoured that former U.S. President Harry S. Truman had a plaque in his White House office that said: The buck stops here.

If one of your team members makes a mistake, do you blame or coach? Berate or explain? Make assumptions or ask clarifying questions? Your answers to these questions will determine whether (or not) you’re a strong leader.

A great leader always takes accountability for their words and actions. More importantly, they also take accountability for the words and actions of their followers. They mentor their followers, and inspire them to be the best they can be. And if they make mistakes – as everyone will – they don’t simply blame them. Rather, they work with the person to identify the root cause, and create a plan for improvement. They never shirk their accountability for a mistake. Rather they say, “This is my team and my mistake, but this is what I’m doing to improve.” The best leaders assume blame and generously share praise.

The idea of accountability is not to hide your people’s mistakes, but to make them more aware of where they’re falling short and what they can do to prevent the mistake in future. It’s also about being there for your people during good times as well as bad. Accountability goes hand in hand with a sense of humour, strong people skills, compassion and open-mindedness. How many of these qualities do you have? Be honest with yourself! 

Conclusion

स्वस्मै स्वल्पं समाजाय सर्वस्वं।

(svasmai svalpaṃ samājāya sarvasvaṃ)

“A little bit for yourself and everything for others.”

In a nutshell, this is what great leadership is all about

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