You know how important the work you do for your company is. The work, your employees, do is just as important. To build a strong team and keep your business growing, you will need to show them the way. Being a strong leader isn’t just about leading by example. There are many aspects to leadership; you’ll need to keep in mind if you want your employees to follow you. So what do the best leaders do for their growing business?

Hire the Right People

Because hiring can take time, people will often prioritize filling the position over finding the right fit. This is a big mistake.

Do not underestimate how important it is to have a strong hiring practice put into place. It’s worth taking the time to find the right people. This means employees who will work personality-wise, who fit with your company’s goals, and who have the right skills for the job.

Create a Strong Workplace Culture

Always keep your company’s culture in mind. Too often, entrepreneurs forget that they are leading a team and setting the tone for the workplace. When this happens, it’s easy for the workplace to become a place of tension or boredom. How can you expect the best work from your employees if they don’t enjoy coming to their jobs every day?

One of the best tips for entrepreneurs who want to lead well is to stop and think about what makes the team thrive. For example, employees who feel their contributions are valued are more likely to want to contribute. Leaders can express appreciation through praise and also financial rewards for their work.

Does your company value honesty? Communication? Forward-thinking? The things you value should be enforced, and of course, you should be leading by example.

Practice Effective Communication

Entrepreneurs are people with big ideas. This often means they like to work alone. But as a business grows, clearly communicating with your team is one of the best leadership practices a young entrepreneur should make a habit.

Communication happens in two parts. First of all, leaders listen. There is a big difference between leaders who may let their employees speak, only so they can talk and employers who value what their employees have to say. By listening to your team, you will have better insight into what their experience is and how you can better optimize the workplace for them.

Make sure your team knows how they can best get in touch with you. Do you keep certain office hours? Can they set up appointments with you if they need to tell you something? Do you prefer email? If they know how to get in touch with you, they’ll feel more welcome to communicate problems when they arise. The next part of communication is telling your team what your business is about.

What are your current goals? What is the outcome you’re hoping for with their current project? By communicating the needs of the business to your team, you’re making them a part of the success. This makes it so they better understand why they should care about particular tasks.