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All leaders have at least one thing in common – they’ve all made major mistakes somewhere along the way. Take it from Dave Ramsey, author, motivational speaker, TV personality and radio host.
“We screwed up, that screw up brought us pain, and we vowed to never get hit that way again,” Ramsey says. “Making mistakes and learning from them is crucial to winning.”
In an article on his website, Ramsey details a few of the most common leadership mistakes and how to fix them. We’ve summarized them for you here:
Fear of Failure
Fear is OK because it makes you stop and think, and motivates you to take action. But, it can just as easily make you freeze.
The Solution: Making a major change to your business could cause you to lose money, customers or staff, but you can’t let possibilities drive you. Ramsey suggests setting up a system to deal with it. Gather facts and opinions, plan for worst-case scenarios and set a deadline to make your final decision.
The Quick Hire
When busy season rolls around, it’s tempting to hire fast to get an extra set of hands in the store. But, rushing through the process can leave you short staffed again in a hurry.
The Solution: Alter your hiring process so that you take the time that’s needed to find the perfect person for the job, and the right people for your company. Consider having candidates come in for two interviews, job shadow an employee for a few days and take a personality test before you decide to hire.
‘Nobody Does It Better’ Syndrome
When you’re a store owner, it can be difficult to let go of projects you started or tasks you excel at doing. In order to make your business stronger, you must trust your team.
The Solution: “If you trust your team members, step back and let them fly, no matter how nervous it makes you,” Ramsey says. “Stop micromanaging them, or they will never perform to their potential.”
So, unless they’re brand new to the team, give them some freedom to take on great responsibilities.
To read more on leadership and developing leaders, check out these resources.
