Important Leadership Traits for Entrepreneurs to Thrive in Tough Times

Times

Important

LeadershiP traits

for

Entrepreneurs to Thrive in

Tough

Trying to grow

your business in

this sluggish

economy is a

little like trying

to swim through

Jell-o.

Ineffective

or

uncertain

leaders

definitely

need not

apply.

So what does it take to lead

a small business through this

ongoing economic mess?

Here's a roundup of the important traits for

entrepreneurs

1. Listen.

Tune in to what workers and

customers are saying, and you'll find

great ideas for how to move forward.

2. Give Credit.

Workers love leaders who

acknowledge their ideas.

3. Be Yourself.

In our age of sound bites and phony

smiles, tell your story honestly.

3. Be Yourself.

It's rare and refreshing, and makes

workers feel like they know you --

and want to help you succeed.

4. Communicate.

So much company dysfunction can

be prevented with clear

communication.

4. Communicate.

Otherwise, workers are in the dark.

And soon, they won't care.

5. Don't be Trendy.

Avoid the "strategy du jour" problem.

Choose a course and stick to it.

6. Beat Anxiety.

Stop worrying and turn your negative

emotions -- regret, fear, sadness --

into teachers that help shape your

character.

7. Be Service Oriented.

Leaders can be sort of self-involved,

forgetting that they are in a position

of leadership.

7. Be Service Oriented.

To serve customers, shareholders

and workers stay focused on others.

8. Be Accountable.

Define the results you want, and

acknowledge when a screw-up is

your fault.

9. Use Empathy.

Demographic changes have foisted

more and more women into the

workplace.

9. Use Empathy.

Make sure your communication and

leadership style is a fit for today's

workforce.

10. Share the Big Picture.

If your workers don't know the

company's overall goals, it can be

hard for them to solve problems.

10. Share the Big Picture.

That leaves you having to

micromanage every problem instead

of being able to delegate and offer

guidance.

11. Keep Your Cool.

The days when being a screamer

worked are long gone.

11. Keep Your Cool.

If workers are worried about whether

you're in a good mood today or not,

little gets done.

12. Think like an Immigrant.

When you arrive on new shores, you

often see the business world with

fresh eyes.

12. Think like an Immigrant.

Use your unique perspective to spot

opportunities others are missing.

What

Leadership Traits

do you think

matter now?

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