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Leadership: Now More than Ever!

Written by: Marijo McCarthy

Article Overview: Winston Churchill is a hero of mine. Partly, I think, because he wasn't perfect. He was neither an obvious hero nor someone acknowledged early on to be the leader that he eventually became. He just put his head down, plowed through and never gave up. He was honest and hard-working, pragmatic and passionate. Sound like any small business owners you know?

Leadership: Now More than Ever!

"This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

- Winston Churchill, Harrow School, 29 October 1941

Winston Churchill is a hero of mine. Partly, I think, because he wasn't perfect. He was neither an obvious hero nor someone acknowledged early on to be the leader that he eventually became. He just put his head down, plowed through and never gave up. He was honest and hard-working, pragmatic and passionate. Sound like any small business owners you know?

Many of my clients are wary right now. They haven't necessarily been hit with really bad news or big losses, but they sense it coming:

- Many are reading long-term contracts with unstable customers and looking for ways to get out of unprofitable obligations, if it becomes necessary.

- Many are seeing customers take longer to pay and are keeping an eagle eye on the accounts receivable slippage, just in case.

- All are behaving like careful, cautious, conservative business owners who have been through tough times before and will undoubtedly weather the next year if they heed their good instincts.

But, how about their employees... how are they faring? They know the economy is bad out there: they have seen their retirement funds take a huge hit and they are worried about losing their jobs in the tsunami heading at them and their employers.

That's where leadership - your leadership - comes in. Indeed, as important as it is to review your contracts and watch your receivables, it is just as important to take a look around in your workplace, to make sure your employees have confidence in you and your company's ability to weather the storm.

Some suggestions for leading in tough times...

- Demonstrate your confidence. That's right... walk, talk and act with the confidence of a leader who can get through tough times. When they see you behaving Churchillian, they (not all, but most) will follow in your lead. Demonstrate fear, on the other hand, and you'll lose everyone.

- Ask for their recommendations. Need to trim operating expenses for the coming year? Ask the employees who type, file, mold, manufacture, design, write, draw, etc., where the opportunities are. They know where the slack exists and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the quality and practicality of the suggestions you receive.

- Communicate regularly. They know things aren't wonderful, so you're not saving yourself or anyone else any stress by avoiding the issue. (If anything, your silence just adds an additional level of fear and uncertainty.) Talk with them - that's right, talk, not e-mail - over morning coffee, in the lunch room, on the way to the parking lot. Be visible and accessible.

- Share the good news. Even in tough times, it's not all bad news. Particularly when the victories are few and far between, we need to take time to celebrate. Buy some ice cream and host a sundae party at the end of a long week - you'll send your employees home feeling good about you, the company and their part in it. That's not denying tough times, that's fighting back.

Leadership, though often hard to describe, is easy to recognize. Become a leader to your employees and they'll find ways to repay you in loyalty, confidence, hard work and humor.

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Article Tags: hero, leadership, small business owners, winston churchill



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