All for One & One for All: Leadership Tips for Fashion Entrepreneurs

A successful entrepreneur is one who recognizes that he or she cannot undertake the task of running a company alone. The process is exhausting, arduous and time consuming. However, with a strong team backing you every step of the way, the results can be nothing short of spectacular. So how do you motivate your crew to take your business to the next level? Here are some tips that can help:

• Define the roles

Sometimes ideal roles or talents lie outside of an employee’s job description, so it’s really important that you take the time to analyze each person’s strengths and weaknesses. Next, outline and communicate each team member’s scope of responsibilities. When the duties and expectations are clear, the accountability factor comes into play. That is, if something goes wrong or a specific target is not met, it’s easy to identify who should be held responsible, and how to remedy the situation.

Sometimes ideal roles or talents lay outside of an employee’s job description

Also, you need to decide – based on your own skills and qualifications – what your duties are (you don’t have to do it all yourself). And if you don’t achieve your personal goals, take ownership of your mistakes to set an example for your gang to follow. Nothing inspires more than integrity!

• Delegate responsibility

According to a saying, “you can’t clap with one hand,” and so it is for entrepreneurs. No one can do it alone (nor should they)! Since you’ve already assembled a team, don’t forget to put enough trust in them to pitch in and pull their weight. Allow each person to do what they’re good at, while building cohesion and synchrony to speed up the processes and foster an encouraging, collaborative environment. Forbes.com explains it perfectly, “each of your team member’s responsibilities must be interconnected and dependent upon one another.”  If your staff feel like they are adding value to your company, not only will it motivate them to go the extra mile, but it will also fuel their need for further achievement – bonus points to you!

Motivate your employees to ensure that everyone is working together to achieve the goals of the organization

• Provide feedback

Once all are clear on their objectives, and are busy working towards them, it’s up to you to ensure that everything is running smoothly. Don’t forget to offer feedback on your staff’s performance, balancing between constructive criticism and well-deserved praise. But remember that this is a two-way street. Allow your team to speak up about their observations and concerns, so they know that you value their opinions. If the communication lines in the company are open, who knows, maybe one of your employees will help you discover the next big idea!

Teamwork is essential to the success of your company

Ultimately, the victory or failure of any business depends on the entire team, led by you. Develop a clear strategy, stick to the objectives, learn from your mistakes, and remember that you can only harness the full power of your staff if there’s trust and proper communication within the company.