As a leader, your actions always speak louder than words when it comes to creating a company culture that is beneficial for both your employees and your company as a whole. And, from my experience as a business coach who speaks to thousands of owners every year, there are some actions that speak louder than others. As such, there are a few little things that you can do each day that will help shape that culture for the better. So today I want to share two leadership habits that I encourage small-business owners to pay attention to and start integrating into their daily routines.
Promptness
The first habit I want to talk about is promptness and your ability to be on time. Do you show up to meetings on time or even early? Do you show up on time for work? If you say you will have a report or a file over to a co-worker, do you always follow through and get it to them in the time allotted? If not, it is a habit that you need to start working on immediately. Now, you won’t be perfect. You’re going to screw up. It’s going to happen. But in general, be on time all the time. When you’re known to be punctual, it helps instill a level of trust in those around you. Which goes a long way when building a team. And, in turn, those in your circle will also start to make it a point to show up on time and follow through on the things that they promise to others on your team.
Accountability
The second habit you want to pay attention to has to do with accountability. That means that when you’ve promised to do something, you get it done. But you can’t just get it done. You’ve got to tell the other person that you’re getting it done and be consistent with it. As a leader, you are likely relying on your team heavily to take projects and tasks that you have started and get them to the finish line. But if you aren’t communicating that you have completed your portion, they will struggle to finish the rest in time. And this mentality will really limit your ability to grow as a team. So if you are mindful of how you hold yourself accountable and close the loop, others on your team will notice and communicate with one another better across the company.
