Being an entrepreneur is more than just running a business, it’s knowing how to lead others within your business. Often leadership is shown throughout the office and workplace but with people still working from home, it’s a little different. In order to make the transition successful, entrepreneurs need to step up and lead like never before. It may sound difficult to create a team environment while working remotely, but it’s very possible. You also need to think about how your employees were able to just peek into your office if they needed help with anything. Being approachable while not physically in the workplace is a good start. Here are a few leadership skills that all entrepreneurs should use while managing their employees remotely.
Communication
Working remotely makes it hard to feel connected to those you’re working with, whether it’s on a project together or a solo task. Leaders should enforce their employees to check-in multiple times a day whether it may be work-related or not. Consider making a group chat where people can ask questions and share what they’re currently working on. Workers are more likely to be productive when they know they have a leader who listens to them and cares. Virtual team meetings that include strategy sessions and team-building activities are a great way to boost communication.
Giving Feedback
Just because you’re not working in the office doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t forget about giving employees feedback virtually. Everyone is at home doing the best they can and the last thing you want to do is make them think that they’re failing. Reach out to do one on one meetings and go through some of their work during the past weeks. Actively engaging with employees and praising them can relieve stress. You might find yourself giving back more feedback than usual but that’s no problem. Team feedback can be very purposeful and is a great way to lets employees recognize each other for all of their hard work.
Empathy
Not all employees care about money. They care about feeling comfortable in their workplace and leaders that sustain empathy. Leaders that can put their pride to the side and are empathic in the workplace are very successful. When managing your team remotely, empathy through your companies culture can help push your employees to be creative when it comes to new ideas and problem-solving. Being a leader that is open-minded and supportive of their employees is more important than ever in the world’s current climate.