Every business owner has their own tricks of the trade, but the essential skills they all need to master fall under T.L.C. – Time, Leadership and Communication.

In our last blog post, we looked at the challenges and solutions involved with time management. We talked about the importance of identifying minor tasks and trusting others to help you manage small jobs. This week, we’re going to talk about what it means to be a leader.

Leadership is more than being able to effectively manage your staff and the growth of your business. A true leader’s fundamental role has been – and shall continue to remain – making people capable of joint performance through common goals and values. The key to being a great leader is not to get people to do what you want them to do. It’s about getting those people to WANT to do what you want them to do.

One of the best ways to inspire that personal growth in your team is to make them feel appreciated and let them know how they are contributing to the whole of the team. Learn to praise in public and, if necessary, reprimand only in private. Make a practice of including your staff in the decision making process. Develop, set and exemplify common goals, shared values and simple, clear and unifying objectives to which everyone in the organizations can commit.

When your employees and team members feel like they are part of the success of your business and that their decisions make a positive impact on the company, they are more likely to put their best into their work every day.

If you are a larger organization, it’s also important to inspire your managers to be great leaders. If that’s an area where your team could use a little help, check out The Growth Coach’s strategic manager program: http://www.thegrowthcoach.com/Programs/BusinessCoachingServices/StrategicManager/tabid/19708/Default.aspx.