lEADERSHIP IS A PRIVIlege
gettinG the Best out of your team is a selfless act
8TH February, 2023 - AMANDA FOWLER
Entrepreneurship is an incredible journey. It's not only satisfying and exciting, but it's also a lot of work. Growing your business in a particular direction is the woven process of aligning your marketing strategy and plans with the overall business goals, and then filtering that data down to produce the business and team KPIs. All of that is basically meaningless though, unless you know how to communicate the target to your team, create a high performance culture and provide support and development opportunities while retaining your staff.
Simply put, I want to share with you what got me started in business and how I built a successful career out of nothing. It's a story about how the key to success is preparation and the responsibilities that come with it. The thing I love about this blog post is how both sides of the entrepreneurial spectrum can learn from this. The idealistic entrepreneurs who think success can come easy and fast, as well as the more well-rounded ones who have already been through many trials and tribulations; how to benefit from the foundations of altruistic leadership for team management.
Through my experience in business I learnt and honed in on my communication, data analysis skills and new business development management. This sparked a passion for strategizing and design thinking that now occupies my days as a freelancing brand strategist. To date, the highlight of my career has been and always will be: the success of my current and past team members. That I have, in some small way, contributed to passionate future female leader’s career advancement and longevity our industry. Those achievements are immeasurable but are what makes a real difference.
My passion for business is rooted in my love of people. I build businesses that not only cares about the quality of its service and/or products, but also the way it treats the people that make them and buy them. I've been in team management role for 15 years now, I've had the opportunity to experience an array of good and bad managers myself, so from the moment I started my company, I knew that my team was going to be crucial to our success. I've learned a lot about how to build a successful teams—but what makes it really special is when you get to work with other people who share your same drive and passion.
Success truly lies in the hands of your team. A high-performing culture is the key to achieving your business goals. But how do you create a culture that is proud, motivated, and inspiring? The answer is simple: altruistic leadership. Altruistic leadership is the art of leading with empathy, compassion, and a genuine desire to help others succeed. It's about creating a culture that values people over profits, and where employees feel valued and supported. Communicating your vision to your team is crucial to creating a high-performing culture. In your weekly/fortnightly/monthly staff meeting, make time to bang on about the business vision, goals and values. Use storytelling! People relate to stories, so use them to communicate your vision.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the metrics you use to measure your team's performance. KPIs should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Here are some KPIs you can use to monitor staff performance:- Sales targets: Set sales targets for your team, and monitor their progress regularly.- Customer satisfaction: Monitor customer satisfaction levels to ensure your team is delivering excellent customer service.- Productivity: Measure productivity levels to ensure your team is working efficiently.
I recognised as an employee that I performed best, and most enjoyed the jobs when everyone on your team is working together toward a common goal, it just feels right. So I made sure that when hiring new people, rather than skills or experience based suitability for the role, I looked for people who were passionate about what we do and ready to work hard as part of a team. And once they were on board, they'd be supported by a manager who would prioritize good culture, developing my skills and guide them through every step of their careers path.
After a year, It begun to feel like the entire place was filled with leaders who are ready and willing to help each other grow personally and professionally—and it makes all the difference in the world!
Investing in your team's professional development is crucial to creating a high-performing culture. Here are some ways you can offer professional learning development:
- Training programs: Offer training programs to help your team develop new skills.
- Mentorship: Reward reaching targets with giving the team member 1-1 mentoring time..
- Conferences and events: Attend industry conferences and events to keep your team up-to-date with the latest trends and developments.
Creating a high-performing culture is about more than just setting targets and monitoring performance. Fostering a sense of community by encouraging team bonding and collaboration. Remember to always recognize and reward success in the team meetings to celebrate success and ask for your teams opinion on innovating solutions for identified challenges. This create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and trying new things. By providing opportunities for career growth and offering skill development, team members will feel valued and supported.
Altruistic leadership is the foundation for successful team management, and it can be applied to any business in any sector. By leading with an open mind, emphasizing collaboration and communication, and creating a positive work environment, you can create an atmosphere that encourages productivity, creativity, and innovation. It's an investment that will pay off in the long run.
If you're interested in learning more about how to apply altruistic leadership to your team, contact me for a consultation. I'm proud to offer my services and help you create a workplace that fosters success. Together, let's work to create a better business environment for everyone.
