5 Habits Of Successful Business Leaders
What makes a successful business leader? What sets one person apart from all the others as ‘smart’ or ‘innovative’?
We see businesses come and go all the time. Most often, what sets the successful ones apart from the failures comes down to leadership. And the leaders who are successful are the ones who form healthy, smart habits right from the start.
We’ve picked the following 5 habits of successful business leaders because we’ve seen the pattern for ourselves. Leaders who do these things are a cut above the rest and are often very successful.
Habit number one
They set Goals. Not just any goals: Goals that are reasonable, actionable and attainable.
If selling your product by the millions is what you’re after, we say, “Go for it!” What’s left is to set a reasonable timeline.
Is it reasonable to sell millions of your product in 6 months? If it is, do it. Make it happen! But if six months is absolutely unrealistic, move the date – NOT the goal. And create actionable steps to get you there. Stuff you can ACTUALLY do.
Habit number two
They ask a LOT of questions.
Stephen Covey once said of highly effective people that they, “seek to understand before they seek to be understood.”
By asking questions, you’re opening the doors of dialog to places you might not have been before. The viewpoints of others are always an adventure of the mind and can lead you to amazing places in your business.
Habit number three
They fail forward.
Every failure has a significant lesson in it. Henry Ford said, “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.” If you dig through the rubble of your failure, you’re sure to find an enriching gem that will help you on the next go-round.
Habit number four
They value their employees.
When an employee takes pride in the job they do, they tend to do good work. A great leader will foster that thinking by valuing the job itself and the person performing it.
Regardless of the task, it’s important that the job be done well. Think food service worker for instance: If the person responsible for cleaning doesn’t take that responsibility seriously or place the proper value on the job itself, people can become seriously ill. And the fall out from that for the business owner can be devastating.
Habit number five
They roll up their sleeves and do the work.
Great business leaders work hard. They step up, take their swing at bat and never stop swinging. That’s how it’s done. Period.
Yes, it’s long hours. But great leaders are dedicated to the goals they’ve set for themselves and for their businesses. That’s how they make it work!
What would you add to this list of 5 Habits Of Successful Business Leaders?