Traditional advice for leaders to grow their business is plentiful. It’s all over the web and fills the pages of business success books. It tells you things like: Have a plan. Keep detailed records. Delegate. Analyze your competition. Understand risks. Stay focused. Make sacrifices. Provide service.
Don’t get me wrong – these things are all very important. But the most important thing is missing. To grow your business you need to grow the people in your organization. Keep the important skills finely tuned.
Start with yourself – do you have excellent leadership skills? Survey your employees and ask them! Grow your business by growing your leadership abilities. You’ll increase employee performance, motivation, collaboration, loyalty, and peace in the workplace. But that’s just the start.
To really grow your business, you’ll also need to grow your people. Invest in their personal and professional success. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Ask your people about their personal and professional aspirations
- Together, plot how the work they do for you can help them reach their goals
- Provide ongoing training to hone and develop communication, service, and leadership skills
- Share your management challenges with your people and seek their advice
- Include your people in your business processes such as budgeting, hiring, and planning
You can’t succeed in a vacuum. You need each employee to feel the reward for your organizational growth. And you need your whole flock flying in formation. Grow your people and you’ll grow your business. You haven’t peaked yet!