How Business Leadership Has Changed and What It Will Mean Moving Forward

The last few years have taught us quite a bit about what it means to run a business, " states Dennis Sons of Tennessee Wholesale Nursery. Seemingly overnight, everything changed — how day-to-day operations worked within a company and the buying behaviors of the consumers they had dedicated themselves to serving.

Those organizations that were able to pivot found great success because of it — including the development of new revenue models that will remain long after everything returns to normal.

But at the same time, it’s also essential to think about what everything going on in the world has taught us about being a business leader. It’s not enough to have your name on the masthead — being a leader requires the skill to execute a vision that everyone can get behind. This can be accomplished by honing in on a few key areas.

The Need to Delegate Responsibility Has Never Been Higher

One of the classic markings of a great leader has always been their acknowledgment that they can’t be everywhere at once — meaning that there aren’t enough hours in a day to do everything required to run the most successful company they can. Now, that’s doubly true when nobody can be everywhere at once — at least for the foreseeable future while people are still working remotely.

Therefore, business leaders must choose their managers and team leaders carefully to cultivate the company culture required to thrive. Especially given the massively large quit rate many organizations are experiencing, now is the time to make sure you’re surrounded by A) people who deeply believe in and share the same vision that you do and B) share your operating style to the point where they can act as an extension of you.

That way, you put together a team of people who can keep everyone on the same page and moving in the same direction, all while decreasing the chances of significant burnout and cultural disengagement.

A Focus on Employee Wellbeing

But almost more than anything, a business leader now needs to put a more significant emphasis on employee wellbeing than ever before. That means more than taking care of bonuses at the end of the year or ensuring that people are fairly compensated for their positions.

It means continuing to check in with people to ensure their career is on the path they hoped it would be and to see what you can do to help. It means hosting social events — even by services like Zoom — so people can get face time with their co-workers. It means encouraging them to remain physically active and taking steps to make that happen.

All of this goes a long way towards increasing engagement with a workforce, which ultimately results in higher productivity and a higher quality product.