Without a doubt, one of the keys to business success is good management. No matter how skilled you and your team members are, without an effective management system, things will get chaotic and difficult to navigate.
The problem is, not everyone has a background in management. So, does this mean you have to go to college for several years to study it? Absolutely not.
Many successful entrepreneurs and business owners started their businesses without any specialized education in management or business administration.
Mads Singers, a management coach who has worked with large organizations such as Shell and Coca-Cola, gathered 35 successful business leaders and entrepreneurs to share how they incorporated the most important management lessons they learned in their business practices. Here are some of the answers that will inspire you in your own journey:
“The most important lesson I’ve learned over the last years is that the old “management” techniques no longer work. Instead of clinging to them, we should become vision champions and someone our teams want to follow. We should ensure that our teams are aligned, and understand and work towards the same goals. We should aim to inspire, empower and motivate our team members.”
Lavinia has also been featured on Mads’ podcast.
“Know your strengths and the strengths of your team. As a manager, keep things on your plate that you excel at and that push the business forward. Take the areas of the business that you’re not best at and delegate them to someone else that is great in those areas. The more you tap into the knowledge of your team and keep your own time focused on where you add the most value, the faster your business will grow, the happier you will collectively be as a team, and the more impact you’ll see coming from your organization.”
“Take care of your team and the team will take care of your business. From leading numerous teams of all shapes, sizes and cultures, I’ve realized it all comes down to taking care of your team. If this is done well, they will take care of your business. These are the people you’ve invited and trusted to come into your work “home”. They need to know the rules of the house and be given feedback both positive and negative so they can be their “best” selves. You need to allow them to fail and succeed. You need to guide them and encourage them.”
“Team members have their own beliefs and ideas, and when a leader’s actions and ideas do not conform with theirs, dissent is sure to follow. I learned that leadership is present in everyone. Others just learn to prioritize and nurture their leadership capabilities – not relying on their position alone. Adding value to your team members, allowing everyone to be heard, setting the goal and convincing the team that we should work as one body to hit that goal are some of the aspects that make a truly great leader.”
“Play people to their strengths and give them space to breath, be creative and give feedback. Whilst you may be the entrepreneur, you’re going to need a team to help you execute big and bold dreams and goals. In order to get people to work to their full potential you want to ensure they are happy, feel valued and heard. Ask them from day one, what do they enjoy doing? Where do they feel they can help and what would they like to contribute? It makes for a more collaborative workplace rather than just having people do shit for you.”
By and large, teams reflect their management. So being an effective, proactive leader increases your team’s chances of achieving success.
Read the original article and more nuggets of wisdom here.
Mads will also speak at our Virtual Sharing Is Caring about why most businesses fail and how to make sure you don’t, on Tuesday, 16 June 2020 at 4:30 P.M. SGT.
Enjoy the read and see you at the event!
