A core element to team building is leading. We could be the best salons at recruiting new team members, but if they show up and discover that the culture story we’re telling isn’t really the one we’re living, they won’t be hanging around long.
That culture is determined by the beliefs, values, and behaviors of its people- including the leader(s). As a generational leadership expert, I don’t think there is a “best” way to lead. Salon teams are unique and just like a family a salon has a culture of its own. As the salon leader, you have the responsibility of helping steer the team, keeping tabs on its pulse, and making sure it feels the way you intended for it to feel.
It’s essential that as the person, or one of the people, steering the ship that you recognize your responsibility to your team’s culture.
The way you show-up in times that are good and times that are bad impacts your salon’s culture. The truth is that leaders are humans and we all make mistakes, but we are called to a higher-level response when we realize we are out of alignment with our culture. Just like our team members, we react instead of responding, we let our emotions trump our logic, and sometimes our emotional intelligence isn’t where it needs to be. But as the leader you’ve taken an oath to do better, to practice.
What does a leadership practice look like?
- Apologies: Own your mistakes as soon as you realize you’ve made them.
- Listening Skills: Listen with the desire to hear people.
- Thank you’s. Share your gratitude.
- Self-care. Take time when you are feeling overextended.
- Platforms. Great leaders give everyone a voice.
The most freeing times in my leadership practice occur when I dive into one of these things. It’s in these moments that I realize that I don’t have to be held hostage to the way I feel- especially when my feelings are coming from someone else’s actions. As the leader, I have set the course for how I want my culture to look and feel by defining my values. When something is off, whether because of me or my team, I get to dive in and change it. The 5 practices above help me do just that.
Think. Feel. Do.
As salon leaders we have to recognize that what we think directly impacts what we feel and that will always impact what we do.
Take control of your thinking. Acknowledge that you are a leader who is always learning and always practicing. Practice is the only way to become a better leader, which we should always be striving for. #TheLeadershipPractice
