The keys to business success are widely debated. Yet logic should determine that many of those keys are actually interconnected foundational elements. A solid team is no good without solid leadership. Leaders are ineffective without a team they can lead. Customer service is moot if the product is lacking. And a solid product will not do as well without a customer service team behind it.
Research and development must be able to function on-time and on-budget and the project roll-out needs to be impactful.
Human resources efforts to improve worker morale will be fruitless if the right people are not hired at the onset.
The list of moving parts and things to consider when running a company or functioning in a leadership role within an organization is exhaustive.
“There are a number of lessons I have learned from trial and error,” said Calgary Orthodontist Dr. Vivek Cheba. “I advise that entrepreneurs find mentors as soon as possible when they launch a business, or even before. You cannot put monetary value on shared wisdom.”
Author and entrepreneurship coach Theadore Henderson argues that the “secret sauce” of business success boils down to leadership and teamwork. There is an intersection of the two: a sweet spot where one feeds the other and generates optimal business performance.
“Strong, dominant team effort is facilitated by a leader who has a clear direction and the capacity to influence his or her team to work toward the realization of a vision,” according to his article in Forbes. He believes that a leader recognizes the talents of team members and helps them embrace and improve their natural abilities. A leader can help push them to areas of growth that they may never have considered.
Although Henderson notes that people within an organization can take turns being the leader, there needs to be clear communication about who to follow at any given time. A trusted advisor who can make sound decisions is key to pushing a company and its employees forward.
The leader needs to maintain a clear vision, or as he calls it “back-from-the-future” thinking. Mapping things out in the mind prior to physical execution is key to securing project completion.
But there’s more to it than that: “Good leaders understand how to aid each member in seeing just how the final product will be beneficial and what, precisely, their particular contribution is toward that end.”
He also encourages a solid company mission statement as a reminder to employees of what the company – and the team – are trying to accomplish.
“It doesn’t matter what business you happen to be in, the people who work for you are often your greatest assets. Employees who have a clear understanding of what the company – or in my case, clinic– is trying to achieve will work harder, particularly if they also feel valued,” Dr. Vivek Cheba added. “Also, it helps when team members are able to contribute their insights into the goals. That sort of ownership helps morale.”
Henderson also points-out that it is wise to gather information from a variety of sources. Frontline workers will have ideas that should not be ignored and can contribute to greater productivity and employee satisfaction. These feed into the bottomline and overall company success.
