To be a truly effective leader we all need to think like an entrepreneur. Think like the owner of the company. Coach your team members and employees to think – and act – like the owner of the company.
The other day as I drove back from a meeting with a client, I saw a sign alongside the bayou – or the batture – as we say here in bayou country. Although it was missing a few letters, I could still make out the message. It said,
The secret to success: Think like the boss, not the deckhand.
I thought this was pretty profound. I’ve been coaching clients in this philosophy for years, but had never heard it articulated this way before.
As we all know, the problem with many of the “big box” stores – and, may I be frank here? – many of the mom and pop businesses too – is that many of the employees think, well, like employees. They are required to work for a certain number of hours per week and are paid a certain number of dollars for that work, and that’s the end of that. They have no “ownership” in the business. They do not connect the amount of business, customer loyalty, or sales to their job or paycheck. They further do not connect their level and quality of customer service to sales, and thus, the bottom line of the business.
But when employees have some sense of ownership in the business, they understand that these things are all interconnected. It’s up to you as a leader to foster this spirit of “ownership” in your team members. Show them regularly the connection between their work performance and the bottom line of the business, and their continued employment.
Please don’t assume that they know, because I can assure you, they don’t always know this.
Here are a few of my tips to make that connection and to
Help your team members to “get it:”
- Remember that employees, like any entrepreneur, are tuned in to the radio station, WIIFM, (What’s In It For Me). Are you helping employees to see that their work performance is directly connected to their paycheck?
- Can you show employees how the tasks and projects you assign them will improve the organization’s bottom line?
- Do you explain to team members how their work is aligned with the strategic goals of the organization and how they contribute to achieving those goals?
If you answered “no” to any of the above, you’d better get to work talking to your employees. Just explain to them that they should “Think like the boss, not the deckhand!”
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Jennifer Ledet, CSP, is a leadership consultant and professional speaker (with a hint of Cajun flavor) who equips leaders from the boardroom to the mailroom to improve employee engagement, teamwork, and communication. In her customized programs, leadership retreats, keynote presentations, and breakout sessions, she cuts through the BS and talks through the tough stuff to solve your people problems
