The Importance of Good Leadership: Growing Businesses and Creating Spaces for Employees to Shine

Leadership is defined as the ability to inspire, motivate and direct a group of people to work together toward a common goal. Good leadership is essential for any business to be successful and grow. It is the responsibility of leaders to create a positive working environment where employees can excel and reach their fullest potential. 

In my most recent podcast episode, I chatted with a very successful, very hard-working, and very selfless leader. Jess Glazer DeRose is a business mentor, investor, CEO, and entrepreneur. She founded Digital Business Evolution, a way to take your expertise and turn it into a scaleable, profitable online business. As a teacher turned 7-figure CEO, Jess has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to leadership and growing a team of leaders. 

In this blog post, we will explore the importance of good leadership and how it can be used to grow businesses and create spaces for employees to shine based on Jess’ leadership principles. 

What is leadership?

Leadership is about empowering employees and helping a business grow through hires. It’s more than simply delegating tasks or supervising workers—it’s about taking an active interest in the long-term development of each individual within the organization. Leaders need to have a vision for the future of the company and use tact and social skills to inspire employees to work toward that vision. Good leadership involves creating an environment where employees can excel and feel supported, while still challenging them to reach their potential and contribute to the organization’s goals. By providing direction, support, and encouragement, leaders can help create a positive atmosphere where employees can thrive and help the business grow. 

Here are some ways a leader can create a positive workplace culture in your organization: 

1. Establish trust 
2. Determine the current culture and reassess 
3. Define the ideal workplace culture
4. Set clear expectations and goals 
5. Measure goals and give feedback frequently 
6. Recognize and reward good work 
7. Develop employees
8. Focus on employee engagement 

Jess says that as a leader you want to provide your employees with whatever they need to deliver great work. Having a positive workplace culture is the first step to helping your employees stay happy and productive at work.

Why is leadership important for businesses?

Leadership is an essential element of any business as it helps guide employees and the organization toward a shared vision. Good leadership can empower employees to take ownership of their work, helping a business grow through strategic hires and initiatives. Leadership can also help build team morale, motivate employees to succeed, and cultivate a sense of greater good amongst staff. Leadership is important for businesses because it provides purpose and direction, which helps to shape the overall objectives of the organization. By setting a clear vision and inspiring those around them, leaders can help foster a culture that encourages collaboration, innovation, and success. 

But leadership in business all comes back to vision. Vision is what leaders use to develop a plan which they can communicate to the rest of the team, so everyone knows where they’re headed.

Vision can also ensure that the goals of an organization are realistic, based on the current state of the business and industry culture. A leader must be able to see the strengths of individuals as well as the group. They must also see weaknesses so they can be addressed and improved upon.

Clear vision means seeing the big picture and all the parts that make up the big picture. By understanding the way things work - or don’t work - a leader can make big decisions about how to move forward. Their vision should also enable them to encourage individuals toward goals that benefit the entire organization. Great leaders are able to see beyond what’s possible today and look toward what is possible in the future. They can also see the path that everyone must be on to get there.

Jess never could have scaled her business the way she did without a clear vision. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work and forget the vision you had once laid out. The only way to really stay focused on that vision is by giving yourself the space and time to do so. 

How can you grow as a leader? 

Growing as a leader is an essential part of managing a business. A common misconception about career growth is that once people reach a senior management level, they are at the peak of their career and have no need to grow. In other cases, leaders are often viewed as being more experienced professionally and personally, but this is not necessarily the case. Leaders are also in need of continuous improvement. 

To become a better leader, it’s important to focus on understanding your own motivations, strengths, and weaknesses, and using them to empower employees and help the business grow through strategic hires. Open communication is key to creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing their ideas and concerns. Encouraging team members to take ownership of their work and providing opportunities for employees to grow and develop will also help foster a successful workplace. Lastly, giving and receiving feedback in a constructive manner helps build trust between yourself and your team. By taking these steps, you can help create an atmosphere that empowers your team and allows them to reach their full potential. 

How can you create spaces for employees to shine? 

Creating an inviting, empowering workspace can be a great way to boost morale and provide a platform for employees to shine. Think of how you can create areas where employees can brainstorm ideas, collaborate on projects, or take part in activities that help your business grow through new hires.

Consider things like:

• A modern break room with comfortable seating, where people can relax and get their creative juices flowing.
• Creating an open-plan office with flexible work areas.
• Introducing regular team-building exercises or hosting networking events for collaboration and networking.
• Allowing employees to come up with innovative solutions for existing issues or future plans.
• Encouraging employees to take ownership of their tasks, giving them greater autonomy in the decision-making process.

By encouraging employee engagement, you’ll be helping create a positive atmosphere and empowering employees to take ownership of their work. Ultimately, this will result in more motivated employees and a better overall experience for everyone involved in the company. 

Jess’ pro tip for leaders: Make time on your calendar for one-on-one meetings: Leaders should never be too busy to check in with their team members. Whether it's once a week or once a month, schedule time for one-on-one meetings with all of your direct reports on a regular basis. Use this time to build rapport, understand your employee's strengths and struggles, and address any challenges they may be facing in their day-to-day work. Most importantly, encourage them to embrace their own skill sets and interests wherever possible. This will not only increase retention but also make your workers feel more appreciated and remain loyal to the company.

No one knows more about scaling a business than my dear friend Jess. So when she wanted to dive into the topic of leadership and how good leadership grows a business, I was all ears! If you want to listen to the full podcast episode, you can stream it here.