Must-Have Communication And Leadership Skills For Small Business Owners With A Team

updated 11/24/2021 ⎮ 7 min read ⎮ Communication

Leading a team and communicating with them effectively as a small business owner is not always easy and intuitive.

You may have an amazing team of people in your small business that are super capable and great problem solvers. However, as a small business owner with a team, there are situations where you need to make decisions that can cause disapproval amongst your team members. This is completely normal.

When you know your team member’s underlying motives and how to communicate your message effectively, you can get everybody excited and eager to execute your plan without compromising your likability and being a great leader. This blog post teaches you how – in a simple but very effective way.

The difference between assertiveness and aggression

Assertiveness can easily be confused with aggression. However, they’re two different things.

An assertive person does not insist on his or her opinion and is open to hear the other people’s opinions. Being assertive means to be confident and interested in a dialogue.

An aggressive person is defensive of his or her opinion and interested in a debate. Often times there is hurt and anger behind aggression.

The difference ultimately lies in the level of respect you have for the people in front of you and yourself.

Imagine yourself in the following situation

Imagine you have an idea in mind that you would like to implement in your small business. You know that it will challenge your team because it brings changes with it. You want to announce it but you’re afraid it’ll cause murmur of disapproval and the motivation at work will go down.

Sounds familiar? Worry no more. Keep on reading to learn how to communicate your ambitions effectively, so everybody will feel excited and eager to get started implementing your ideas.

The psychology behind this communication and leadership skill

As human beings we naturally seek happiness and like to stay in our comfort zone. Evolution has made us like that. In order to achieve greatness, we have to leave our comfort zones and take risk. We are willing to risk the most for the things we care about the most. These are the things that give us the greatest benefits and are of the highest value to us.

When you find out what truly drives your team, you don't have to compromise between being assertive and getting things done and being a cool boss that is well-liked.

Always make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

- Edward Mandell House, American diplomat

This is it.

This is the one guideline that allows you to change the attitude or behavior of your team members.

Let's break down what exactly it means and involves.

The 6-step must-have communication and leadership skill for small business owners with a team

Follow this sequence of 6 easy steps to instantly improve your respect and standing as a leader and still be liked.

1. Step one.
   
   Keep it real. Make sure to always back your words up with actions and be consistent with it. Others will respect and trust you when you are a reliable person and deliver.
   
   Sometimes it’s tempting to just say 'yes' to somethings without even having thought about it. It’s a way to get it off the table and not having to engage in any further discussion.
   
   Think about what this does to your reputation, though. You will amaze your opposite when you hold your breath for a few seconds, keep eye contact, and actually think about it.
   
   You can positively impress in every relation by being sincere. Being known as a person who keeps his or her word is very valuable. Make this your habit and don’t promise anything that you cannot fulfill.
   
   Reflect your thoughts and behavior actively and make it a habit to focus on the benefits of your team members, and not your own. Learn to forget about the benefits to yourself, be more empathic, and think about others first. It will change how you view the world and open so many doors for you.
   
   Once you’ve implemented this simple step, you’ll take your relationships to the next level and you can see a variety of opportunities everywhere.
2. Step 2.
   
   Define your goal. It is important that you know what you want. When you know what you want, you can also know what exactly you need your team to do. This is really crucial because it is your goal you want to reach by communicating it correctly.
   
   The more precisely you know what you want your people to do, the easier it will be for you to think of what they want. This leads us to the next step.
3. Step 3.
   
   Be empathetic. Now, we think one step further. Put yourself in your team member’s shoes and think about what they want. Dig deeper than what you can see on the surface level. Ask questions to find out exactly what the wishes, dreams, wants, and needs of the other person are. Be empathetic and get to the bottom of your team’s motives and motivators.
   
   A nice, empathetic, and open attitude will make you look so much more likable – instantly. You will notice that people open up to you more because you come across as sympathetic and caring by showing interest in them. Think about it. Who doesn't like it when someone shows interest in them?
4. Step 4.
   
   Think about the benefits of your solution. You now know what your team wants. Your new task is to use this information and think about the benefits for them. Their benefits are what makes them feel happy and you want them to feel happy about doing what you suggest.
   
   Consider all of the benefits that your team member can possibly receive from the outcome. This is what drives your team members to do something, and you want to use their benefits as your arguments.
5. Step 5.
   
   It’s a match. Make the members of your team see that they’re getting the benefits by doing what you suggest. You can do this by matching their wants and benefits with your idea.
   
   Think of ways that your idea can get them what they really want. That way you can make following your plan a no-brainer.
6. Step 6.
   
   Communicate it. You have collected all the information you need to communicate your message in the most encouraging way. Now it’s time to get the message across. It will be obvious for your team to do what you want when your request conveys that your idea will personally benefit him or her.
   
   And that's how you can be an assertive leader who is well-liked.

Your job as a leader often requires assertiveness. You will inevitably come across situations where it is necessary to change people’s attitudes, to enable them to see your vision, and to change their behavior so that you can reach your small business goals together with your team.

Conclusion

Being assertive doesn't mean to insist on your opinion and get your way by any means. It means being confident and interested in a dialogue with others. Communicating your plan in the right way will make others excited about it.

Keeping it real and staying true to your word, will earn you respect as a small business owner, as a leader, and as a person. Define your goals accurately and make sure to know exactly what you want and how to realize it. This includes knowing what specific actions you need your team to take.

Be empathetic and genuinely interested in the people around you. Your people are one of your biggest assets and most important resources of your small business. Consider their wants, needs, wishes and values and what benefits they are after for themselves.

Now, you can match those with your proposal and illustrate how doing the thing you suggest will be a win-win.

With this communication technique, nothing can stop you from getting things done successfully and still being well-liked.