Leadership is often signaled by a position or a title. But far more importantly, it is a condition of skills and traits needed by every enterprise. Strong, confident, well-developed leadership skills can propel an organization toward progress.  But without good leadership, an organization can flounder.

Why Is Good Leadership Important?

People in an organization naturally look to others both in the organizational hierarchy and those around them to provide guidance and support in their actions. Effective leaders inspire confidence, provide reliable direction, and serve as a catalyst that empowers an individual’s abilities. Effective leadership sets the tone of an organization, shapes attitudes, promote harmony, and leads to higher productivity. As Rosalyn Carter, former United States First Lady said, “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.”

Small Business Tips Guide to Leadership

For most people, leadership traits are not invested at birth but are learned and developed piece-by-piece throughout life. Leadership traits may be even more important in smaller enterprises because there are fewer resources to fall back on. Key traits include:

• Being self-aware; understanding your own strengths and weaknesses. 
• Being decisive. Becoming paralyzed when needing to make choices will cripple any organization. 
• Being fair and treating others equally. 
• Being enthusiastic. 
• Having integrity that earns the respect of all colleagues. 
• Having solid business knowledge. 
• Possessing creativity and imagination. 
• Having endurance. Business success doesn’t usually come easily.  

Successful business leadership requires these actions:

• Developing a clear vision for your small business, including sharing it and getting all stakeholders on-board. 
• Defining the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of the organization. 
• Setting goals, developing, and executing strategies. 
• Communicating clearly and effectively, including the skill of good listening. 
• Becoming effective at giving and receiving feedback. 
• Becoming approachable and collaborative.  

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