As many business owners are facing stormy waters that really no one could have predicted, it’s time to be that leader your business and your team needs. It’s time. Yes. The waters are stormy. They’re rough. Things are ever changing and many of the things we once thought were very predictable are no longer that way. Governmental regulations are ever changing. Perceptions are shifting quickly. Fear is mounting. Mental and physical health is deteriorating. 

But. Now isn’t the time to fold up. No. You’re an entrepreneur. You’re a trailblazer. You’ve likely had to grit your teeth through crazy, hard times before. Maybe it’s been a while. But, here you are. Facing the stormiest waters you could have ever imagined. So, what are you going to do? 

Side note. If you haven’t gotten your PPP Forgivable Loan, you need to email me today. My team can help. We have lenders still taking applications and getting business owners funded very quickly. Contact me right now.

You are going to get through this. One way or another. You will. That’s a sobering reality that you have to embrace. Your team is counting on you to be creative, resilient, and confident. Especially if your team is working remotely, they’re missing the structure that you’ve probably worked really hard to instill. But. You can still guide your team. You. You can help them stay focused. That’s what they need most.

In my book, Taboo Business Questions, I have a whole chapter dedicated to focusing. The Taboo Business Question is “How do I know exactly what to focus on to grow my business?” In the chapter, I go over the various types of distracted business operators struggling to gain traction and stay focused. I go on to describe exactly what it takes to be that Noise Reducer who is able to stay laser focused on high income producing activities and their core business. 

Feel like things have slipped in this area recently? You aren’t alone. According to a survey by Udemy, 70 percent of workers admit they feel distracted when they’re on the job, and about 1 in 5 admit to feeling “almost always distracted.” According to this article from USA Today, there are positive effects on workers’ productivity;  according to 54% of respondents in a recent survey of professionals ages 18-74. The reasons for this, they said, were time saved from commuting (71%), fewer distractions from co-workers (61%) and fewer meetings (39%). 

But, remote workers still need leadership, direction, and community. When you talk about trying to lead a team of people, as many of my clients do, especially remotely you have to take into account these leadership action items:

Leadership Action Item 1: Get Grounded

Grounded, in this sense, means to take inventory of yourself, your finances, your team, and your gut. What are you really made of? What are you going to accomplish? What are you going to get done? Who do you need to help you get there? You have to take the time to get grounded and really do a gut check before your team will get bought into your vision. You have to. That’s action item 1.

Leadership Action Item 2: Be Visible

Don’t hide from your team. Encourage them. Do video calls. Send them texts. They want to know you haven’t gone into a cave and are waiting to come out. They need you to be educating yourself on what’s happening, being resourceful, being resilient, being visible. They want to be encouraged that their leader might not even have all the answers. But. They’re out there leading the charge by doing the homework to get answers. And, you’re driving the team in a positive direction.

Leadership Action Item 3: Be Transparent

I think leaders often struggle with this the most. Vulnerability. Transparency. It’s not easy. But, it’s real. And when you invite your team in to your vulnerability, you build leaders. You show them that you aren’t afraid of letting them know you don’t have all the answers. (Funny thing is that they already know.)

Leadership Action Item 4: Stay Positive

One of my favorite leaders is Marcus Lemonis. He’s the CEO of Camping World and Business “Fixer” on his CNBC TV Show called The Profit. He’s almost always super positive. It’s through this positivity that he coined my favorite saying during these uncertain times. He said, “I’m so sure that it’s all going to be ok… not because I know more than others but because I believe more than others… faith in all of you… faith in who we are… #TheProfit.” 

It’s galvanizing leadership that your team needs too. They’re looking for this message from you. Can you see yourself tell them this exact thing? 

Leadership Action Item 5: Hope for the best, be prepared for the worst

This is one of my dad’s favorite sayings I remember when growing up. He would say this A LOT. It wasn’t until I became an adult and lead a team of sales people that I learned what this really means as an application. You shouldn’t always count on the worst or the best. Be hopeful in the best, but have multiple backup plans.

Leadership Action Item 6: Focus on your HIPA

What is HIPA? I’ve talked about it a lot, but it’s been a while. HIPA is a term many business people use to define their “High Income Producing Activities.” These are the things that make IMPACT. Build revenue streams. It’s the specialized tasks that you and only you can do in your business. Don’t get caught up in low income producing activities unless you’re intentionally investing. 

As I write this article, I realize that we’re facing uncertain times in multiple areas of life; not just business. It’s no longer “back to business” or “business as usual.” That ship sailed. Today. Right now. Business owners need to be community galvanizers; bringing people together for the good of all. 

It’s time we stepped up and were all the leaders our teams need. The leaders our families need. The leaders our communities need.

It’s a tall order, but business owners are the backbone of the nation’s economy, right? What can you do to galvanize your team? Your community? 

What can you do today?