Leadership for Small Business Owners
Leadership isn’t just about big businesses
It’s important for any business that has actual real humans involved in their success. Of course some of these humans may be employees; but there are many other important humans that are critical to your business success. And humans thrive on relationships which is where you come in as a leader.
☑️ Do you have clients or customers? I am guessing they are human
☑️ Do you have suppliers? Probably human
☑️ Do you have business partners/collaborators? Mainly human ( with a bit of AI thrown in)
☑️ Do you work with freelancers? Humans who probably use a lot of AI/tech/automation tools
☑️ Do you outsource any other parts of your business? Some of this may be tech but there is probably still a human making the decisions….
☑️ Do you have employees? Definitely human
☑️ Do you have casual workers? Human too
All of these humans require human communication. And this requires emotional intelligence; an essential quality of all inspirational leaders.
Leading with Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is part of the DNA of any business. It starts with the leaders and a unique team. The elements of emotional intelligence are:
Emapthy
Be responsive to feelings
Put yourself in the other person’s shoes
Be sensitive to body language
Listen, REALLY listen
Motivation
Learn from setbacks
Think about why you are struggling with something
Make sure your goals are challenging
Be positive even if you don’t feel it
Self Awareness
Examine yourself
Keep a journal
Self Regulation
Practise calmness
Stick to your values
Keep yourself accountable
Social Skills
Praise others
Manage conflicts
Improve your skills
It’s a lot to think about and it’s not easy. I have learnt a lot of these skills through my personal experience of building relationships with clients, suppliers and members of my team.
Did I always get it right - absolutely not
Did I know any of the theory - no, I wasn’t even aware of it!
I simply went on instinct, made mistakes and continued to learn.
The first lesson I learnt very early on in my career was that other people were not motivated the same as I was. I wanted to challenge myself, while others just wanted to do the bare minimum. Understanding the different motivations of your team is essential.
Remote team motivation can be particularly challenging
You probably know about Maslow Hierarchy of needs and with remote teams it is especially important because it helps leaders understand what their team members might need in order to stay motivated, engaged, and productive—even when they're not in the same physical space.
Physiological & Safety – Remote work assumes people have a safe, comfortable workspace and the tech/tools to do their job. If these are missing, everything else suffers.(Think covid, when people were working from an ironing board!)
Belonging – This is huge remotely. Without casual chats or in-person bonding, people can feel isolated. While coffee and cigarette breaks can cause distraction they can also be the time when great ideas are discussed.
Esteem – Recognition and feedback matter even more when you're not visible. Regular praise, clear goals, and trust help people feel valued.
Self-Actualization – Remote work can offer flexibility and autonomy, which supports personal growth—but only if people are supported and not micromanaged.
So, remote teams thrive when leaders address human needs, not just tasks.
So what makes an inspirational leader?
🙋♀️ They can see the big picture
🙋♀️ They model desired behaviours
🙋♀️ They challenge others to be a better version of themselves
The ability to inspire is not an innate skill, it’s one you can cultivate. There is always room for improvement.
✍️ What have you done well, but more importantly what could you have done better?
✍️ Do you invite feedback?
✍️ Do you admit mistakes and express gratitude?
✍️ Do you lead through collaboration and selflessness?
Being self aware is an essential skill for good leaders. Look to others for inspiration. What traits do they have that you could make use of in your own leadership?
How do you improve your leadership skills?
Take Action: Every month, chose an area that you want to improve on; whether its communication or handling difficult situations
Daily Practise: Do one small inspirational thing every day; showing appreciation for the humans in your business - a small gesture or thanks will go a very long way.
My go to when leading teams was always to “catch them doing something right “ rather than waiting for them to do something wrong. We humans love to be appreciated. It reinforces what we are doing well and keeps us motivated. Of course it is also important to address any areas where additional support or training is needed. Don’t wait or put off difficult conversations. The situation will only deteriorate.
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