The Best Way To Grow Your Business Is To “Partner” With Your Employees

A long time ago, CEOs and managers used to be ‘bosses’, people with positions and who commanded respect and action just by the virtue of their positions. Things used to be done that way then and results used to be achieved.

Many CEOs and managers have not realized that times have changed and that results are no longer achieved by the position one is in but by how one plays his role in a team.

A good boss does not demand respect. He earns it. Not through the ‘whys’ but through showing the ‘how’. The best way to grow your business at the moment is to ‘partner’ with your employees.

Research has shown that employees will deliver the best to your business if you make them feel part of your business. This does not mean that you let them ‘own’ part of the business but by letting your employees know that your business is because they are.

Whenever your business succeeds, be the first person to tell your employees, “We did it team.” Or, “You guys did a wonderful job. We did it!” Stop using phrases like “My Company has done well,” or “I did it”. The most important element of your business should always be your employees.

Whenever there is a loss or a problem with the business, do not always be the first one to blame. As a CEO or a manager, you will always kill your business if, for every failure, you always find someone within your team to blame. Once in a while, own up to some mistakes. Do not just be taking credit for success and apportion all the blame on others whenever there is failure within the business.

Last week, soldiers in Ethiopia stormed the Prime Minister’s office with guns protesting law pay. The Prime Minister became angry and ordered them to do 10 press-ups for showing up at his office with guns. To the surprise of many, PM went lead the soldiers in doing the press-ups. The man did not dwell on the ‘why’ but showed them the ‘how’. That is what leadership is.

The mistakes many CEOs and managers make is to delegate 100 percent of the duties to their team. It is good to delegate but the moment you start to delegate 100 of your work to other people, you start to fail. Some think it is one way of making others grow. Yes. It is. They will indeed grow but you will remain stagnated and dwarfed. It does not matter how much your money can work for you, always find something you can do, a role you can play in your own business.

The best way to grow together with your team is to be in constant touch with them. Once in a while drop by your office and say hi to your team. Ask them if there are any problems. Let them know that you are part of them. Do not just be showing up whenever there is a problem that you never even know how it started. This does not mean that you micromanage. Micromanaging kills a business. what this means is, do not be the ‘100 percent hands-off guy’.