Benchmark Business Group

The Leader Your Business Needs

September 25, 2018

Every business needs a natural born leader to inspire and grow. Or does it?

Yes, businesses usually thrive and grow with great leaders, but they don't have to be naturally born. In fact, most leaders are not born with leadership skills. Just because someone has the title of leader, or even owner, doesn't automatically make them a great leader.


Just like an athlete, musician, or tradesman, leadership is a skill that can be developed and improved. There are many people who developed their leadership skills over time and became great leaders. They did it with intention, practice and determination. Walt Disney, for example, was once fired because his editor felt he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas." Oprah Winfrey was also publicly fired from her first television job as an anchor for getting "too emotionally invested in her stories."

If leading isn't natural for you, or you would like to be a better leader, the good news is you are capable of doing so! In fact, everyone has the opportunity and capability to be a great leader. 

As a business owner, you are the one who models expected behavior, cultivates the work environment, inspires, and clearly communicates the vision. You are the leader by default. 

So what kind of leader do you want to be? By describing the characteristics of a great leader, you can determine what to focus on and what skills you want to develop. Often, there are common attributes and behaviors that seem to surface:
  • Taking risks and embracing the risks that failed
  • Defining a clear vision and achieving results toward that vision
  • Encouraging an environment of learning, growth, innovation, and taking ownership
When you think about the leader your business needs, do these attributes and behaviors come to mind? Does this leader show up every day? Does this leader need to be you?

M
ake no mistake, we know that becoming the leader your business needs is not easy. It takes continued practice and commitment. But everyone does have the capacity to be a great leader. 

We challenge you to think about the great leaders you know and have worked with. Then, work on modeling their traits and behaviors. Write them down and review them every day until you become the leader your business needs you to be.

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