Ways to expand your “influence” as a Founder

A Founder should strive to make their Team feel respected, empowered & genuinely excited about the company’s Mission – to rise the probability of success.

Topics: Feedback, Support, Get down in the Trenches, do Lunch, Socialize w/ Media, Delegate, Accountable, Conversational skills.

Are you looking for a way to motivate & inspire your team? Leadership tactics that will also boost morale? Of course you are. But, as you know, that’s no easy feat to accomplish those tasks. You can, however, get one step closer to becoming a top notch Founder by having a greater presence through these seven ways.

1. Encourage Feedback.

It can be difficult to ask for feedback – either because you don’t want to hear any criticism or employees are fearful in upsetting you – but honest feedback can help your business grow. Instead of avoiding feedback, welcome suggestions & ideas from your team by giving the following techniques a try

Replace the old suggestion box with a white board in the rest room where everyone can add their opinions in privacy.
Ask you team insightful questions like what they would change, what are customer saying, and how you can help them become more successful.
Follow up with employees after you’ve taken their suggestions into consideration and show them your action.

2. Make certain that your Team knows “you have their back” support-

which is more than just being supportive & understanding. Having your team’s back means that you give them credit & recognition for their hard work, as well as reward them to show your appreciation. It also means that you should get to know your team, so that you can understand their strengths, weaknesses, and how they think, so that you can properly motivate them on a daily basis.

3. Walkabout, so you can get “Get down in the Trenches” with your Troops, so you can see what their triumps & trials are.

The best executives don’t hide in their office or at meetings all day. Besides having Lunch with employees, they get their hands dirty – sharing some of the workload with their team. Amancio Ortega, founder of Zara and currently the second richest person in the world, is admired, according to the “Telegraph”, for “sharing a table on the factory floor, with some of the designers, operation experts & buyers. ”When I know what’s going on in the trenches, I have a much better understanding of what’s really going on with my company”.

4. Have Lunch with employees.

Some of the most powerful executives, best leaders & good Founders are known for having lunch with their employees frequently. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has been enjoying lunch with random team members for years. Paul Brough explains on LinkedIn that executives like Cook have realized that eating with co-workers have the following benefits;

Opens new opportunities within the organization.
Employees gain new insights regarding the organization.
New ideas are formed and shared.
It reduces stress,boosts morale, improves profit
It creates a stronger company culture

5. Be more Social – Media wise.

As a CEO/Founder you already have a full plate. But, if there is one more task that you should add to workload it’s being more active online, specifically Social Media. According to a study conducted by a public relations firm, 76 % of executives believe that it’s a good idea for a Founder to participate on social media networks. The advantages of being active on Social Media is that it proves that you have an keeping up with the latest technology, probably innovative & you’re humanizing yourself & your brand. This builds relationships with the media & customers + gives you a competitive edge. Being active on Social Media is also an excellent way for you & your team to connect both outside of the office & directly – if there is ever a question or concern – since there may be times when you can’t meet face-to-face

6. Delegate:

Being a Founder / the Leader, doesn’t mean that you have to be in charge of everything — that’s impossible. Look to delegate tasks to the best team members possible, & let them know you’ll be there to advise. Meet to track their progress, so you can assure it’s on the track and they’re making reasonable progress.

7. Get others to or hold yourself Accountable.

You may have had bosses in the past who only showed up to point fingers when there was a problem. Don’t be that kkind of a person. It’s not productive, and it will turn your team against you. Instead, hold yourself accountable and look for ways to prevent a problem from happening again. Create specific goals that you & your team can support and will aid your organization.

8. Work on your Conversational skills, which

are one of the most important traits that a Founder should possess. Without these skills, you won’t be able to express your ideas, display your confidence, hear the suggestions or concerns coming from your team & make good decisions. To improve your communication skills, practice:

Being aware of your body language and how to read the body language of others – so you know where they’re coming from.
Avoid using conversation fillers like um, ahh, well, you know, like, etc. It’s better to pause than use a filler.
Get to know your Team, so you can ask them about their family, hobbies, etc. It’ll also motivate them, because you’ve shown you care.
Learn to tell a great story about how one of you products really helped a customer.
Ask questions and (if needed) repeat the answer – so the other person knows you understand.
Remove any distractions, such as Social Media – when you waste too much time on it.
Keep the perspective of your audience in mind – when you’re talking to them – so that they will understand better.
Get to the point and keep it brief. But be specific enough, so your topice is well understood.
Develop empathy so that you can understand the feelings of others better. They will open up to you more and appreciate your caring.
Listen to others without interrupting them. Maybe they’re not that good as a communicator. Have patience with them and they may reveal great insight.

Conclusion: Once you’ve perfected these skills, you’ll be able to put your team at ease, as well inspire and motivate them when morale is low

Comments: Do know of other ways to have more influence as a Founder?

from Entrepreneur.com 20 May 16 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz

For more Info, click on Link for Founder, Starting a Business.