In the dog training world the word “Leadership” has been abused and misused every chance a trainer gets. This often leads to a lesser understanding of what it means to be a leader in our lives and our businesses. 

As business owners we should separate our understanding of leadership pertaining to people and dogs so that we can become the most effective leader we can be. 

Leadership as it relates to our roles as business owners with employees and clients. 

When looking up the definition of Leadership, the word breaks down to “Lead”. 

To lead is to take one by the hand while moving forward, to be a means of access to a particular place or direction, to be an example to follow, a person or a thing that maybe useful such as a business opportunity, have the first place in a competition, be superior in your field. 

Whether used as a verb or a noun the many definitions of “Lead” provides great insight into what it means to be a leader in your business. 

We have the opportunity to define who we are and how we are as leaders. 

We can take time to define the qualities and values of our leadership. Write them down, share them with our employees and use those as a means for evaluation of our staff. 

This well defined approach to leadership in our business is felt in interactions with clients no matter who is interacting with the client. This leads to a better experience for the client and a better representation of your company’s brand.

Setting the culture

We set the culture of our company and know that by doing so we are raising the quality of life for all of those who work for and with us. 

To not do so is to leave things to chance and that is a recipe for disaster. 

When problems arise in our businesses, especially around employees, we as the business owners become the focal point of the entire organization. 

Other employees watch how we deal with these things and learn from the experiences. 

If an employee is consistently late, all of the other employees are wondering when you will take action and why has this been allowed to go on for so long. 

A culture with values creates an environment where every employee knows that being late is out of alignment with the company’s culture and that such abuse is subject to disciplinary action. 

This no longer is a point of contention but rather an opportunity for the company to grow. 

These opportunities allow us to practice who we are as leaders. They give us the chance to show up, behave as the leader we wish to be and provide the example for the rest to follow. 

Ask yourself these questions

Are you an emotional leader? How do you employees respond to that? Are you calculated and crass? What effect does this have on everyone around you? 

Have you taken time to define who you are as a leader? What values do you live by and wish for your employees to embody? How do you as a leader develop your team? 

Answering these questions can save you time, money and create peace of mind. Define who you are as a leader and set your organization up to succeed.