What kind of leader are you as a successful entrepreneur?

Most entrepreneurs don’t even think about their leadership style, they just have a brilliant idea and a strong drive to run a business. And it has worked!

Becoming aware of your leadership style, and it flaws, defines your business growth and how much effort it costs you. Are you ready to grow into a next level of leadership?

Feel into the next 5 different leadership styles and recognize what elements are part of your leadership style today and what feels missing or you have too much of. I bet they all apply to you somehow, depending on the situation in any given moment.

ONE: Only one can rule, you follow

One leader at the top, a powerful and dominant leader who drills drill his followers and workers. Discipline and act as one force is key. Why is this way accepted by all who are involved? Because the goal is to conquer and survive. Useful when there is a real life threat. Less useful when used in stressful (not life threatening) situations as it limits our creative mind to find solutions. Best example of this style is seen in the army.

Reflect: where do you see yourself becoming dominant to force a decision because you think you know best for the future of your company? Or where do you demand your style of working as the best there is? How do you react when it gets stressful? Can you pause and open up to new solutions?

TWO: Dominant leader who hides behind 'this is how it is'

One leader at the top that steers the pyramid by command and control, repeats what worked in the past. Passive/submissive workers who accept repetitive work-environment for a guaranteed job in return. Our governmental administrative workforce, hospitals, police and even education works like this. Even though they might have evolved on department level towards team work and a flat organisational structure, the essential way of working is following rules, procedures, execute laws and don’t question much of it.

Reflect: Control is a big one! Especially when your money is at stake! How much trust do you have in those you work with? How open are you for new perspectives that are totally opposite yours? Do you feel a sense of ease or self righteousness when people follow your idea?

THREE: Success defines the best leader

Top down leadership with focus on profit and growth, numbers only matter to maximize shareholder value, highly stressed working environment, ego driven employees and leaders are led by fear and pressure of fullfilling the expectation of the managerial level above them. Exemplary in all corporations, banks and even mid size companies. Again, at operational level they might have changed to team approach, creative think tanks and self leading teams. However, in the end, the top decides and defines the focus for all employees. Culture is therefor highly competitive, information and network is key for a good career.

Reflect: What your work ethic is, is probably expected from those you work with. How focussed are you on targets, result, success, a win? Are you approaching all stakeholders with a win-win mindset for both sides? Or is the ‘win for you and your organisation’ more prevailing?

FOUR: Inspirational leadership but what about a good business model?

Leadership has a clear vision and facilitates. He/she inspires to empower and motivate the employees. Creative and engaging working environment. Shareholders are replaced by stakeholders. For anyone involved it means a higher level of responsibility and ownership over their role and position. If that isn’t embedded in the whole organisation, and leadership isn’t as pure as it desires to be, it can often lead to unhealthy outcomes, loss of clear focus or a lack of a solid profitable business model. Start-ups often start this way, but loose its purity as soon as management layers kick in due to growth.

Reflect: Perhaps you know you are more of a geek with a brilliant idea but you happen to be a leader as you are the owner of the company. You expect that anyone in your organisation knows its role without needing much of your leadership. As if the organisation is creative by itself….unfortunately, that happens less than we could wish for.Ask yourself: how open am I to creative input from others with a different knowledge/experience base as me? Am I  truly using the full potential of all employees/partners or do I use limiting roles and functions to run my organisation? Where is it that I block creativity and motivation in my organisation? Where am I ignoring leadership responsibilities as I feel not competent enough in that role?

FIVE: Next level new leadership? Who is leading what or who?

Self-Mastery leads to transcendental leadership. It is less about the leader, the vision and purpose have a central leading position. Highly vibrant and creative workplaces, that unleashes the potential of all within and reacts as a whole successfully to rapid changes and its evolutionary purpose. This kind of leadership is rarely seen in todays (business) organizations. Perhaps new community structures and NGO-like initiatives love to see themselves this way but not many of us are at the level of Self-Mastery as that requires a high level of inner awareness of ALL involved. Once this type of leadership and its organisation find and trust its flow, learns to sense and respond, and let go of all control, it will prosper.

Reflect: Perhaps this kind of leadership is too far out for you. And that is a valuable acknowledgement! However, I invite you to feel into this. What triggers you, what resistance do you feel, what argument do you have against this style. Can you allow yourself to open up to an inner longing that does love to work like this?

If you do feel that this is your next level you love to grow into then ask yourself: am I ready to be fully at service to the whole, which means, can I let go of a product or service once there is no need for it anymore. And am I able to adapt my business to a new one? This kind of leadership sounds very soft and non-business like, but it doesn’t need to be! You can be highly profitable but key is your ability to respond to the market, to adapt to what is desired, to let go of old goals, and to find employees who are willing to embody the same qualities. Find people who have better skills and knowlegde than you. Be humble and create a spirit of curiosity, experimenting and learning. Motivate each one of your employees to unleash their potential and take full responsibility for their role. This doesn’t work in large organisations. Keep your team small and collaborate with other parties on a win-win basis. But most all, dive deep within yourself, know yourself and expand your awareness.

New systems and solutions are needed, but who will be leading? You?

When leadership becomes less self centered and more at service to others with a win-win for all, we will automaticall design new ways of working, new organizational structures, new earning models and growth models. And that will lead to new systems, new societies and so on. New self aware leadership is needed, especially by those who know how to run a profitable business. Are you the one?