By Ingrid Vaughan

If you’re running a small business, you’re a leader. If you have employees, you lead by example every day. If you don’t, you’re still leading the process of growing your business from one day to the next. Some people are born with a natural gift of leadership; others must learn how to become good leaders. Regardless of whether leadership comes to you naturally, or whether you struggle with it at times, your business will always benefit from your professional growth in this area. Sometimes growth comes just as much from knowing what NOT to do, as it does from learning what TO do. Use these five examples of typical mistakes leaders make to move you toward greater strength in your business leadership.

Having a Top-down Attitude
A military-type model where the leader barks out orders and expects his followers to do as  they’re told comes naturally to some Type-A leaders, and although this type of structure  may be necessary in a military environment, it is rarely effective anywhere else. Strong leaders know that their success begins with modeling values and qualities they wish to see  in others, however they also acknowledge that even the lowest man (or woman) on the business totem pole has something valuable to contribute. Effective leadership is collaborative and takes into account everyone’s perspective.

Not Recognizing the Importance of Affirmation
Everyone needs a little affirmation from time to time, and in a work environment where this is absent, you’ll find unmotivated workers, people who make mistakes, clockwatchers, and those who just put in their time and produce the bare minimum. In environments where people routinely receive affirmation from the leadership, you’ll find people who produce more than what is expected, employees who are motivated to perform at their peak, people who are confident in their work and in their value to the company, and an overall positive work climate. If you make affirmation a priority, you’ll notice a difference in what happens in your workplace. Your customers will notice it too – and that’s good for business.

Not Valuing Pioneers
Pioneering people can drive you crazy. They’re always coming up with new ideas before they’ve finished with the old ones. They think in ways that sometimes seem ridiculous. They are full of energy to initiate change, sometimes even when it seems there’s no reason for it.  And they never seem to be able to just settle down and do the work that needs to be done.  Pioneers do need help sometimes with staying focused and on task, but it is their strength that will propel your business forward. Value the pioneers on your team and listen to them.  You won’t implement every idea they come up with, but keeping in touch with their vision and ideas will mean you’re ready when the right one pops up.

Sloppy Delegation
A good leader knows that delegation is one of his/her greatest tools for managing the workload. However, some leaders take this as license to get rid of every task on their desk. If you’re going to delegate, make sure that the task is something you should hand off. If it’s something you know is your responsibility, handle it yourself. Otherwise, make sure you’re assigning the task to the best person to handle it. Delegation should match each person’s skill level and ability to perform at the expected level. It should also consider the person’s existing workload. Handing off tasks to someone who is already overloaded may not be the best decision.

Inconsistent or Poor Communication
Communication is the leader’s highest calling, and ineffective communicators can never make strong leaders. Everyone should always know what you expect of them, what your goals are, what your corporate values are, and how you expect business to be conducted day-to-day. Be clear with instructions, take responsibility for miscommunication, handle conflict in a positive, productive way, and ensure your company communication process is clear and consistent. This will increase your leadership strength significantly.

Take on the challenge of building your leadership skills by knowing what not to do.  Counteract those things with positive action, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a better leader.

Ingrid lives and works in Victoria BC as a Human Resource Generalist. She is the author of I’m A Circle, You’re a Square, a book about increasing the effectiveness of workplace communication. In addition to her HR generalist skills, Ingrid has experience as a small business coach, employment counsellor, business writer and corporate trainer. She is currently the Human Resource Specialist for the BC Construction Association, Skilled Trades Employment Program.