0:00
best kind of leaders raise their hand
0:04
let me just say it one more time the
0:07
best kind of leaders are the ones who
0:09
raise their hand and say they need help
0:10
and for some of us it takes us a little
0:12
bit longer to do that and I think that's
0:14
really hard but the moment you do and
0:16
you start recognizing wow the help
0:18
that's come is really helping me that's
0:21
the game changer in your business and
0:22
it's hard and I'm not sitting here
0:24
saying this is some easy thing I'm going
0:26
into my fifth year business and I just
0:29
got in the past year or so around the
0:31
importance of hiring help
0:33
so the key is recognizing that yeah we
0:37
can we can still do this for the you
0:39
know next five years by yourself if
0:40
you'd like but the reality is being a
0:42
really good leader is recognizing you
0:44
can't do it all you don't know it all
0:46
and that's why there are people who as I
0:50
that's not my Lane that's their Lane and
0:52
they can come and help you and I think
0:54
that's the key when it comes to being an
0:56
entrepreneur is recognizing it's time to
1:05
how important are leadership skills when
1:07
running your small business they could
1:09
make the difference between success and
1:11
failures as Paula Jenkins founder and
1:13
CEO of lfs Consulting for secrets to
1:17
improve your small business leadership
1:18
skills watch our full interview up next
1:21
a lot of small business owners and
1:23
particularly solopreneurs they may not
1:25
think of themselves as Leaders because
1:27
they're you know they know their thing
1:29
they know their their Niche or whatever
1:31
they're getting into so I'm wondering
1:33
why is leadership important
1:36
in small business like why is it
1:38
important for you to think about this
1:42
yeah that's a great question so you know
1:45
um because we don't think about it we
1:47
don't understand the correlation between
1:49
our success and how to sustain our
1:51
business and that's where the leadership
1:53
part comes in is how you lead your
1:56
business how you lead the finances of
1:58
your business how you lead your social
1:59
media like I think a lot of times we
2:01
think of that leadership piece as a
2:03
person it's a team it's a group it's an
2:05
organization the leadership piece is
2:08
also just how you run the business how
2:11
um how you lead your brand how you lead
2:14
your product or your service so that
2:16
leadership piece is critical because you
2:18
do want to make sure that you show up in
2:20
a way that's going to sustain your
2:21
business and grow your business so
2:23
whether you have a team or not that
2:25
isn't the part that matters what matters
2:27
is you understand that how you lead how
2:29
you show up that's the part no matter
2:32
what the size of the business that's the
2:34
part that matters I mean we need a good
2:36
definition then maybe we don't have a
2:37
good definition I mean what what would
2:39
you say is a good definition of
2:41
leadership leadership about influencing
2:43
that's what it's about and whether that
2:45
is influencing you can call it guiding
2:49
um thoughts whatever you want to call
2:51
their actions their behaviors leadership
2:54
is truly about the influence that you
2:56
have on someone somebody some team
3:00
um that's really what it comes down to
3:01
it it's it's we can have lots of other
3:04
words that we can add in but at the end
3:06
of the day you are influencing somebody
3:09
period and so for me my definition is
3:13
leadership is influencing or guiding
3:15
other people when it comes to their
3:17
actions when it comes to their behaviors
3:19
that to me is leadership when you think
3:21
about leaders maybe a lot of people have
3:23
a vision in their head of what a leader
3:25
is supposed to be like maybe this is
3:27
supposed to be extroverted maybe they're
3:28
supposed to be uh you know have a strong
3:31
personality maybe they're supposed to
3:33
you know have a loud voice maybe yeah
3:35
and people might think well I'm
3:37
introverted I'm kind of like I'm a quiet
3:39
person I I don't I'm not the first
3:42
person to speak up in a room and
3:45
everything maybe that means I can't be a
3:46
leader then we talk about the different
3:48
there are different types and styles of
3:49
leadership aren't there yes there are
3:52
some of those types and styles
3:55
so here's what I'll say you know I I am
3:57
not a person who says I have this
3:58
complete list of you know here's all the
4:00
different styles we can Google all types
4:03
of lists there's a list of sevens a list
4:05
of eight there's a list of there's lots
4:07
um for me what I will tell you is there
4:11
simple ones that I think about I call
4:14
myself a servant leader
4:17
um that to me is who I am into how I
4:19
show up and it's really important for me
4:21
to show up as a servant leader when I am
4:24
leading it is not about me it is about
4:26
others it's about meeting people where
4:28
they are it is about really making sure
4:30
that the work gets done but it's never
4:32
about me never has been about me you
4:34
think you also have other leaders where
4:38
um it may be very transactional and so
4:40
what do I mean by that it is all about
4:41
yes let's get it done let's get it done
4:43
let's get it done let's get it done and
4:44
not to say about the caring piece or the
4:47
the other pieces that may be important
4:48
to people but it is about getting it
4:50
done and in some cases you may need that
4:53
um there's other styles where it's just
4:55
like look I don't care what how you all
4:57
get it done just get it done and and
5:00
that's kind of the hey it's it's it's I
5:02
don't need to be in all of your business
5:04
I don't need to get into all the details
5:06
I trust you enough to get it done and
5:09
you know there's lots of names for that
5:11
as well you know lazy fear those kinds
5:14
um there's the the the
5:16
Democratic Leadership there's all kinds
5:18
and so I will tell you I have not spent
5:20
the time to say Here's the the five or
5:23
the eight or the nine or the ten because
5:25
there's so many different kinds I think
5:27
the key is is recognizing who you are
5:29
and where you are that's why I know for
5:32
me I can say that I am absolutely a
5:35
servant leader because I know how I show
5:37
up and what's important to me and it
5:39
doesn't mean it's the right the best or
5:41
the worst it is who I am and how I show
5:44
up but I also know how to change it to
5:46
different types of leadership styles
5:47
when necessary I don't know if it's
5:50
discovering the kind I am or if it's
5:53
deciding what I want to be how do I go
5:56
about doing that I mean how do I go
5:58
about figuring out what kind of leader I
5:59
am so one it takes time
6:02
um this is something where I will tell
6:04
you probably 10 years ago even 15 I
6:06
wouldn't have said I was a servant
6:07
leader I think it is the environment
6:09
you're put in I think it is the
6:12
situation that you're put in the people
6:15
that you are leaving and leading the
6:19
um are surrounding you in what is needed
6:21
a lot of times what we don't understand
6:23
is depending upon the situation the
6:26
environment people's personalities you
6:29
have to show up in a different way and
6:31
that doesn't mean again I I'm always
6:33
talking about it's not about good bad or
6:34
or indifferent it is what is needed at
6:37
the time so sometimes you'll find out
6:39
that you can be and maybe you do need to
6:42
be the hey hands-off leader because
6:44
that's what the group needs and they do
6:47
well in that you may not understand
6:48
whether you're 100 comfortable with that
6:50
but that's what the group needs you may
6:53
need to be the person who is the very
6:55
transactional type of person because
6:58
they absolutely need it in that
6:59
environment so the way you find out is
7:02
honestly it's the experience that you
7:03
have it's the situations you're put in
7:05
it's also asking asking a lot of times
7:10
we're leading people people too often we
7:12
don't want to ask a question I am really
7:14
big on feedback and I think it's really
7:16
important to ask for it I don't shy away
7:18
from it I've said for years probably
7:22
if you don't tell me what I'm doing well
7:24
I may not continue doing it if you don't
7:26
tell me what I'm not doing so well I
7:28
might continue to do it so part of it is
7:30
also understanding what's working in the
7:32
environment that you're leading what's
7:34
working for the people that you're
7:35
leading that is an important piece of
7:37
leadership and so how we find out who we
7:40
are we can ask it's not a bad thing it's
7:43
not a bad thing you know you also see
7:45
when you look up what are the elements
7:46
of leadership and people look at those
7:48
lists and they say gee I don't have
7:50
those personality types or I'm worried I
7:52
don't have those personalities but do we
7:54
really know I mean what are the
7:55
qualities or elements or whatever what
7:57
are some of the things that might
7:59
indicate that you're a good leader well
8:01
here's what I will sell you for me
8:03
everything begins in Angel communication
8:07
so when I immediately think about
8:09
leadership it is honestly we have to
8:12
start with how we communicate now some
8:14
of us are really great communicators
8:17
some of us have work to do and some of
8:19
us are not as good I recognize that but
8:21
communication is key how we communicate
8:24
with our teams with our people with our
8:26
investments all that is important that's
8:28
that's that's one to me the most
8:30
important element but there's others yes
8:35
um it's empathy we have to be able to be
8:39
um I'm also real big on emotional
8:40
intelligence and understanding our
8:42
self-awareness and self-regulation our
8:45
motivation all those types of things but
8:47
I will always say it absolutely starts
8:51
with how we communicate and a lot of
8:53
times I think we you know it's immediate
8:54
that that it's the verbal how we
8:56
communicate but communication is all
8:58
kinds of things it's how we show up it
9:02
is how we talk it is how we write think
9:05
about all the times we write things and
9:07
how we communicate to people and
9:09
sometimes our tone even in writing is
9:14
not very kind it is how our body
9:17
language shows up and how we communicate
9:18
whether we're listening to somebody or
9:20
not somebody how we care and show up for
9:24
that person so for me you know I a lot
9:26
of what I do is always about the top
9:27
three I don't want to four or five six
9:29
because I can't remember all that so
9:33
it's communication it's it's you know
9:35
that first element is how you
9:37
communicate it's that empathy you know
9:40
being empathetic caring for the people
9:42
that you are leading there's nothing
9:44
worse than somebody who knows that their
9:45
leader doesn't care about them
9:47
um we all have always you know tell
9:49
people everybody has a story everybody
9:53
everybody's not going to share their
9:54
story with you and that's okay but if
9:56
you get to know people they might share
9:58
their story and when they do you got to
10:00
care you got to be empathetic to
10:02
whatever they're going through
10:03
um and then that self-awareness being
10:05
aware of where you are there's nothing
10:07
worse when there's a leader who doesn't
10:09
recognize they don't know everything I
10:11
know that you left corporate uh the
10:13
corporate sector for for you know to
10:15
basically build your own business and I
10:17
think as small business owners the one
10:19
thing we never think about is the luxury
10:21
we have often that we don't have it in
10:24
the corporate world you you actually
10:27
often are building the team you're going
10:29
to lead so when you have your own
10:31
business and you're going from what I'm
10:32
going to call the solopreneur to now
10:34
wait a minute I have a team of people
10:35
every single person and I've said who's
10:38
going to touch my business I want to
10:41
believe in it they've got to believe in
10:43
it this cannot just be oh this is just a
10:45
job I need you to believe in what I'm
10:48
doing because if you don't that's going
10:49
to show up and how you serve not only me
10:53
but my clients the the public like
10:55
that's going to be a problem so it is
10:58
important and part of that is how we
11:00
onboard people how we find people you
11:03
may have to go through a few people and
11:04
that's probably the challenge no it's
11:06
not probably it is it is the challenge
11:09
as a small business owner of recognizing
11:11
okay I have to go to a few people before
11:13
I find the right person and that's just
11:14
part of we all know in hiring anyway but
11:17
you know when it's again your baby Wings
11:19
your business as an entrepreneur you
11:22
want to make sure that you're bringing
11:23
in people again who care you want to
11:25
take the time even though we know for a
11:27
lot of times it's like okay I need
11:28
somebody right now but it's still you've
11:30
got to take the time because again this
11:32
is they're accessing your information
11:34
they're going to be responsible for your
11:36
brand they're going to be responsible
11:38
putting processes and Sops all these
11:40
things so part of it is yeah you've got
11:43
to take the time to hire the right
11:45
person and you've got to make sure that
11:46
you are involved in that process and not
11:49
to say that you can't hire somebody to
11:51
hire somebody but you do want to be
11:53
especially in the beginning you want to
11:54
be part of that process because here's a
11:56
unique opportunity to make sure you're
11:58
bringing in the right people or as close
12:00
as possible the right people in the
12:02
beginning so they can grow with you you
12:04
talked about the importance of getting
12:05
feedback when you're the leader when
12:08
you're the boss sometimes people assume
12:11
you don't want feedback
12:13
um are afraid to give you free feedback
12:15
how do you let people know I'm serious
12:18
about this I really really want to know
12:21
what you think I I really need to know I
12:23
don't have all the answers first of all
12:25
you gotta you have you have to you know
12:27
you can walk the walk you gotta talk the
12:29
top right I'll give an example of that
12:31
so many years ago I was coming in as a
12:34
new manager and I had 17 direct reports
12:36
and I recognized very quickly that the
12:39
culture that they were used to was very
12:40
different illusion they would was very
12:43
different from who who I was and what I
12:45
remember saying that at that exact thing
12:47
I believe in feedback I can take it as a
12:51
new leader here I want to make sure I'm
12:52
understanding what's happening I quickly
12:54
could read the room and they were like
12:55
yeah whatever I knew that I could tell
12:58
immediately so part of what I did is I
13:01
said okay I'm gonna do an exercise
13:02
answer two questions for me and I sent
13:04
an email out and I said be as honest as
13:07
you can and I said and I mean that I
13:09
said you I know you don't believe me but
13:11
I'm telling you it was two questions
13:13
what am I doing well what can I do
13:16
better very easy and this is probably
13:18
within about 30 to 45 days of starting
13:21
I collated all that data and I put two
13:24
sheets of paper all together on one
13:26
sheet of paper it had all the feedback
13:29
together what I was doing well on the
13:31
other it had all the feedback given to
13:32
me about what I could do better I had a
13:35
team meeting and I shared both of them
13:40
the good and the bad what am I doing
13:43
showed us to the team and they're like I
13:45
can't believe she's showing it and then
13:46
I put off the paper what am I what could
13:48
I do better and let's just say some of
13:50
it wasn't very flattering but that's
13:51
okay I meant what I said I can take the
13:54
feedback and I will tell you in that
13:56
moment what happened with that team is
13:58
one that trusted me and they believed me
14:00
and they understood what she said she
14:03
means when I see I can take the feedback
14:05
I can take it so much that I will even
14:07
share the theater that you all gave me
14:09
and it was Anonymous right and there was
14:11
stunned by the fact that I shared all
14:14
this feedback but my point was I get it
14:16
I knew you don't know me you don't trust
14:18
me but when I say I believe in this I
14:19
believe in it so if you're gonna do this
14:21
you gotta talk it and you got to walk it
14:23
and that's it for another episode of
14:25
small business 15. thanks again to Paula
14:27
Jenkins and please like And subscribe if
14:29
you enjoyed the show and please leave a
14:31
comment and let us know what topics
14:32
you'd like to see covered in future
14:34
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14:36
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