How to be a Successful Leader for Small Business

I was inspired in writing this because of a student from Ateneo De Manila University who asked me a question earlier...

"How would you know if you're a good leader in your business?" 

Leadership is a topic that sometimes gets overlooked by Entrepreneurs who are running their own small businesses and who dealt with different people, different ideas, personality and attitude. In a small business specially ones you start building up your team and having other people help build your business; Leadership is truly an important factor in building up that business.

There are 5 Secrets to Successful Leadership in Small Business that I learned from Different Leaders in Different Countries.

First, YOU MUST LEAD BY EXAMPLE, I learned this from a great leader with a big heart; William Vargas from Las Vegas, Nevada who taught me to lead by example when I was working at Federal Housing. Leading by example is crucially important because others looked to you as an example. You set the tone in your work environment. For example, If you showed up late for meetings other people think that they can show up late for meetings too. But if you were there working hard, come-in early as a first one to get to the office and the last one to leave, other people see that as an example that they should follow. So leading by example is really an important recipe to a successful leadership in a business.

Secondly, WORK SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH YOUR TEAM, I learned this one from a very understanding and result-oriented leader; Jeff Brown from Las Vegas, Nevada too who taught me how to be a better leader by listening to my people. Get in the transients and share in the struggle with your team. And just because you have people working for you and with you it doesn't mean that you don't get on working and do that type of work. You're not better than anybody else. And if you have that attitude that you're better than other people because they're working for you then other people will lose respect for you. But if you're sharing the struggle or sharing the hardship with your team other people respect you and see you as a true leader.

Third, FOLLOW THROUGH ON EVERYTHING YOU SAY, I learned this from a very idealistic leader; Edwin David from Brooklyn, New York who taught me how to build my credibility back after duress. He once said, Do the things that you say or  that you do and the things that you have committed to do because by doing that you will build back your credibility and other people will look at you as somebody as trustworthy and that's a sign of good leadership.

Fourth, ALWAYS GIVE YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION, I learned this again from a realistic leader William Vargas from Las Vegas, Nevada who also taught me how to appreciate the ideas and opinions of other people. Make each person you talked to on your team feel like he/she is the most important person in the whole room when you're engaging with them, because people want to feel that their opinions matter and by YOU listening to them as a leader, other people will feel good and it creates resonance within your team.

And Lastly, RECOGNIZED CHALLENGES AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH, I learned this recipe from a very wealthy man of Perth, Australia; Steven Da Silva, PhD who taught me to grow again after I fall and use those failures as an opportunity. Have a good attitude and view potentially negative events that occur as opportunities to learn. Have a positive outlook on these type of events because if you could come negative about a certain event, other people who look to you for leadership will be negative as well. But if you challenge the occurs opportunities to learn, other people will start developing that positive attitude which will enable the business feel better for all.

So far, this was being applied to my businesses after my duress and failures before. We need to learned how to be a better person after all. And by learning those we need to set an example to our people so that they will respect us for who we are and for what we are. Let your mistakes be your guide to a better you in the future. Learned from it. Don't mind what other people say about you when you failed. Instead, use it as your leverage. Show to them that through those struggles and challenges that you've been you can stand again and be a better leader or a better person.

Of course, I would like to use this opportunity also to Thank those people who stand by me despite of my struggles and hardships before. Thank you to Vicente "Gio" Tegio for Staying at my side through thick and thin. To Atty. Shai Dizon, Atty. Marwin Cortezano, Atty. Engel Supan, Atty. Leo Mas, Cristina Asuncion and Lester Dy who never stopped believing me and who never stop giving me advices. To my Family who always believe in my capability to surpass those struggles and hardships and to the Almighty Father, Jesus Christ for never leaving me and for staying all the way until I reached my success.





Written and Created By: Robbie Chan, MBA