Every venture needs a strong leader

Though any venture requires sets of skills not usually found in one person, if one person does not have leadership ability there will be no team.

There are many business functions necessary to a successful business startup. There’s the development of ideas, the testing of those ideas, the execution, the refinement. It’s rare for one person to possess the skills necessary to do all functions well. Therefore a team of people with diverse strengths can increase the likelihood a venture will manage itself well.

Without a good leader; however, there will be no successful team. It is imperative someone have leadership ability in the team and the higher, the better. The ability of the leader can determine the success of everyone (Maxwell).

While studying the formalities of business one can forget the necessity of the human element. No amount of thought or labor can overcome the weakness of an entrepreneur who is unable to influence others. One who is able to influence others may attract people who can fill one’s weaknesses, but no one (except a better leader) can fill a lack of leadership. This is important in business because an emphasis can be made on strategy or metrics at the expense of individual growth in the person trying to start the enterprise.

Of the seven ways Maxwell states we rely on to influence others (pg. 21), I lean most upon ability, experience, and character. It irks me when a person who I think is less skilled than I has greater influence because of their network or intuition. I want it to be a numbers game or on an individual interaction basis, where I excel. It’s presently the season for performance feedback, and I’ve asked everyone on my team to provide input. I’ve also written a positive review for each of them based on what I’ve seen of their work. I’d like to deliver my encouragement to them in some way, and to ask for feedback on a more regular basis than once a year.

References