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Brexit may have created a little uncertainty for UK businesses,
as we mentioned in our last blog.
But the referendum vote has also made it clear that the majority of Brits prefer to be in sole control of the country’s destiny, rather than part of a wider collective – and there’s a nice parallel there to draw with the way you run your own business.
As a business owner, do you want absolute control over the future decision-making in the business?
Or do you prefer to talk to your board, your advisers and your wider team to get a more democratic view of your future direction?
To put it bluntly, is your business a democracy, or a dictatorship?
How do you engage with your team?
Is Your Business A Democracy or Dictatorship ?
You may be the founder and owner of your business, or you may be the MD who’s at the helm of an established business.
But whatever hat you’ve got on, it’s important to think about how you engage with your employees.
Is everyone motivated and working hard to achieve the agreed aims of the business?
A happy workforce + an efficiently run business = bigger profits, so it really is vital that you make sure everyone is pulling together as a team.
But a note of caution: don’t go too far down the ‘softest boss in the world’ route.
There still needs to be clear leadership and vision from you – and that means everyone on the team knowing that the buck stops with you.
Ultimately, there are times when you’ve still got to be the dictator and stamp your feet a little to get things happening 😉
A balance of democracy and dictatorship
Is Your Business A Democracy or Dictatorship ?
For some people, Brexit means the UK regaining our democracy, while others think we’re better of united under the clear guidance and regulation of the EU.
We don’t have the answer to the political question, sadly.
But when it comes to running your business, we think a good balance between a friendly democracy and a light-touch dictatorship is the best way to go.
Having a hybrid between these two different ends of the spectrum keeps your employees involved and engaged in the business, but keeps some definite drive and leadership pushing you all forward with a smile on your face.
Of course, the balance will be different for each business.
Your industry and sector will define whether the management team need a lot of room to be creative and strategic, or whether the workforce needs a stern guiding hand to stay on the right pathway – it’s down to you to decide which works best.
Do you use the carrot or the stick?
Is Your Business A Democracy or Dictatorship ?
Your choice of leadership style is up to you – you might want to wield the dictator’s stick, or dangle the democratic carrot of reward.
At the end of the day, it’s down to what gets the best results for you, your people and the long-term results of your business.
What do you think? Do you run your company as dictatorship or democracy?
Leave a comment for us and tell us which leadership style works for you! 🙂
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