Project: It Takes Gutsy To Be A Good Leader, Part II

For every good leader I can reference, you can point out 2.5 misleading pop culture leaders and five poor examples that you have encountered in life. It is true, isn’t it? I mean, you probably have pulled out your trusty finger calculators as we speak trying to configure whether or not that is true. (Which is why I created my statistical number under 10 as, yes, I often find myself resorting to using my fingers.)

For me, these numbers are quite correct – and not just because I generated this statistical factoid off the top of my head. As much as I love you, Michael Gary Scott; The Office, NBC your leadership qualities are unorthodox and sorely lacking.

If you are going to be a leader you might as well do it right, and do it right on the first try right? Unfortunately, it is not always that easy. That is probably one of the first lessons a leader will learn: The lesson of humility. So while you are down there in your humble stance, here are a few other ways your employees are seeking out for you to…

•    Lead By Example, Not By Exclaiming:

Start by being in the presence of your employees. The mentality of being the first one there, the last to leave is an honest approach to setting a standard of showing up to work and investing in a company with heart and soul. A good leader is never too afraid to get their hands "dirty." They never ask of their employee what they would not do. You celebrate the accomplishments; offer constructive criticism when others would offer destructive criticism. In essence, they will show, not tell. That is leading.

•    Lead By Pushing, Not Pulling:

Sometimes you have to get behind your people. There are times your team will not believe in themselves. So if you are pulling them along they cannot see where they are going. You have to get behind them and their dream to help them see and understand their purpose and their power. So sometimes a little kick in the rear is good for the morale!

•    Lead By Logic, Not Leverage:

There are moments when it is easier to speak down to people. You are an authority figure, probably have a higher salary figure (if you are cutting their paycheck you should know this) and in the presence of others it is human nature to want to show your dominance and achievements by exuding the charm of a slightly egotistical superior. It is in all of us. Whether we are taller, older, excel academically or athletically - it is how we cope. However, a leader respects the intelligence of their "inferiors" (and I use that term for illustrative purposes) instead of using their superiority as leverage; as a mechanism; a method of manipulation to “motivate” others into doing what needs doing, they use logic. Sit down, have systematic conversations, have performance reviews and find a way to understand each other.

•    Lead By Confidence, Not Cowardice:

There will be conflict, and there will be rivalry, there will be times you have to downsize, and there will be times you have to fire without the reason of downsizing. Leadership is about short and long term decisions. It is about living the mission statement and trusting yourself and your instincts. Those around you will take their cue from you and as a leader you cannot hide behind the excuse of, “I want to hear what your thoughts are on this," so as not to have to make an executive decision. It is about responsibility, taking a vision and confidently and effectively delegating and putting it into action. 

So will you? Will you put your vision into action?

It takes gutsy to be a good leader. Do you have what it takes?

-The Green Couch

Project: An Experienced Entrepreneur

Many insurance companies say it takes two years to become an experienced driver.

It has also said that it takes at least two years to determine whether your start-up will maintain stable, encounter traction and have measurable growth. So what is your projection for becoming an experienced entrepreneur? How are you going to go from I want, to I will, to I did?

If you have a dream and you are a risk taker, welcome to the club of entrepreneurs. Here’s a club secret –the first 12 months are most crucial. We do not want to be back seat drivers, but we’d love to share some pointers to get you from point A to point Z.

#1 Believe In Yourself

We are going to be blunt. It is all in or it is nothing. Jump into the frying pan. That does not mean that you gamble all your finances into this new venture. It means that you have to believe that your dream is worth pursuing, that it will have a positive impact and that people can benefit from it. If you do not believe it, then who will?

#2 Moonlight Your Dream

Do not quit your day job, and do not turn your day job into a resource to pursue your dream. When it comes time to pull back from your current occupation, you will know. You will have this burning sensation in your stomach to the heart region. Do not pop any Tums: it is not indigestion. It is just a solid dose of gutsy, only satisfied by risk.

#3 Name That Baby

Name that brainchild of yours and begin nurturing it. At some point you are going to have to quit calling it “my idea,” “my dream” or “my baby.” Now you can confidently start referring to it by its rightful, legal name. Start by registering the company name.

#4 Research And Read About It

You have heart, now let us put some head in it. No matter how original your dream is, the market is saturated with companies that offer products and services that will always compete with your ideology. Focus on how your services and products will stand out, build on that platform and keep crunching numbers and jotting notes!

#5 Keep Your Ears Open

Jump. Fly. Figure it out on the way down. Yes, to all three. But you also have to let others help you out and hold you up for maximum wingspan. You see, there is always, always someone who knows something that you do not. We want to help you; we want to offer you advice, but can only do so because we are in constant contact with people who give us the same amount of insights. Established entrepreneurs will be happy to guide you towards your maximum potential, but sometimes we just have to reach out, invite them to lunch and embrace their leadership skills. Who does not like good food while absorbing food for thought?

But at the end of the day when it gets dark, you plan on pulling an all-nighter, you have to believe in yourself. You can read books or blogs, like ours, about being an entrepreneur, but the truth is you will only learn when you get out there and do it. The earlier you make your mistakes, the quicker you can get on to building a great company.

During those two years of driving, you will face adverse weather conditions. You will learn how to make left turns confidently. You will learn that you do need to respect the oil light, the gaslight and the engine light. You will learn how to read the signs of other drivers; whether they are experienced or not. And it often comes at the risk of your own inexperience and mistakes.

So it is with a new company as well: with a person who has a dream and builds a company on that idea. Passion will fuel your way on the road to success, but experience will steer you along the way. If you are told, “Good judgment comes from experience, but experience comes from bad judgment,” you have been told the truth.

-The Green Couch