Leaders Must Build a Family Environment to Achieve Excellence

 

There is clearly something to say about running a business with a family approach.   Not all of them are perfect, but that is not the point. Taking a family approach means establishing a foundation of trust and a cultural promise to unite as one; to perform with purpose and the healthier whole in mind

 

1. Give your team a sense of ownership

To build a family environment, make everyone on the team feel as if they are a “board member” in your department.  Establish boundaries, but elevate their sense of purpose.

 

2. Everyone Must Protect One Another

Lead with kindness and intention.  Leadership by fear limits the growth of your employees and the opportunities for achievement.   Treat your employees like family.

 

3. Instil Values to Enable a Trusted Culture

When you can define the standards of performance based on an understanding of what you, the department and/or the company stands for – it is much easier to establish expectations.   These expectations should be based on a set of core values that everyone can embrace in order to build a trusted culture that is fair with no surprises

 

4. Encourage People to Speak-up

Enable people to express their voice and allow their perspectives to be heard.   People shouldn’t feel that they require permission to express their opinions.   The goal is to activate the team, not restrict their participation.   The more people you get involved in the conversation, the more you can benefit from a family environment that embraces differences.  

 

5. Develop a Succession Plan

Everyone on the team should be aware of their succession plan.  Be clear in establishing a road-map to get employees excited about the next stage of their careers.  Be transparent with everyone’s plan and allow others to participate in the plan.  With everyone pulling for one another’s success in this family environment, it eliminates traps and cultivates a culture of winning.

 

Leaders require maturity and trust in themselves to build a family environment.  Those businesses that fail typically are a result of envy, lack of trust and/or an inability to work together.   Those leaders who can successfully build a family environment in their department will not only achieve more in the short term but will build a foundation of hard work, determination and perseverance for the long run