Leading Your Future. Learn From the Best!

Part 3 of a 3 part series on Leadership for Cleaning Business Owners

There are many things you can do to keep your leadership edge in today's marketplace. The primary responsibility of a business owner and leader of his/her company is keeping up with the ever changing world in which we do business.  Leaders are lifelong learners of both technology and world issues.  You can never stop learning about our industry and what new advances have arrived to change the way you do business.  If you don't stay current about technology and breakthroughs, your competition will soar ahead of you.  If you want to be a great leader, you need to stay ahead of the game and become out of touch with today.

This means you have to be aggressive in the pursuit of knowledge. It means taking classes, learning online techniques, learning about newest advancements in products and equipments, learning about techniques that will save precious productivity time so that you may be more competitive.  The very moment you stop, you will slide behind the competition and begin the downhill fall that some find difficult to recover from.

So why do you have to spend so much time learning?  And by the way, Warren Buffett spends most of his days reading newspapers, magazines, books and publications. He has a staff that could advise him about business decisions; however, he is a voracious learner and wants to read the information himself.  Here's why it's important; the decisions you make are based on knowledge you have about the world around you, the business climate you are in and what's necessary for your business today! Without adequate knowledge and learning, you are unable to make educated, good decisions for your business. Great leaders keep up with what's going on not only in their industry, but in the world.

Take advantage of all media for gathering information; have the radio on while getting ready for work in the morning, watching news in the evening, having news feeds on your phone, and any other method you have for keep abreast of what's happening will help your decision making.

Great leaders keep an open mind to new ideas and ways to do things.  Too many leaders get motivated to learn only when they are in disaster mode.  For example; if you don't know how to read your P&L telling about your company's financial health, the time to learn is not when you are close to filing bankruptcy.  The time to learn how to read the report is today so that you can avert a disaster because you have learned what is happening in your business.

Leaders learn from the best.  By watching and learning from people who have already done what you are yearning to accomplish, you will make your own company better. Don't just watch, instead emulate what they do. Seek out the best in the business and ask for help. Visit other cleaning companies, shadow successful business owners and soak up information like a sponge.

Leaders know their customers well. Customer surveys and communication with your client base will help you make good decisions for your business.  Every business owner should know what makes their customers tick. Its business basics 101. Knowing what your clients like and dislike will go a long way in delivering outrageous service and exceeding their needs.  For example, if your customer indicates on the walkthrough that they have a real preference for the way you leave their employee table and chairs, then that's what needs to be done.  If they have a monthly Board meeting and need to have special attention paid to the conference room the night before the meeting, taking care of this need will be much appreciated.

A great leader will take the time to learn and understand all the needs of their clients and employees as well.  This way, the leader can gear training, systems and processes to the complete satisfaction of the client.

Keeping a positive attitude at all times is a sign of a true leader. Being upbeat and positive will inspire your employees and customers alike. Professionals never speak negatively about other companies or colleagues and they don't get involved in gossip. Whenever you see things that need changing, take appropriate action instead of whining and complaining about them.

Be the role model and set the tone for your company, keeping in mind they the buck starts and stops with you. Everything you say and do speaks about your company! Be the best you can be and remember that change takes time. Work on understanding the impact you have on others around you, both employees and customers.  People will not be committed to your leadership unless they are confident that you know what to do and they trust you.

Sharon L. Cowan is the former CEO of a multimillion dollar regional commercial and residential cleaning company. A 25 year veteran of the industry, Sharon is a popular speaker and workshop leader. She has been a guest speaker and seminar leader for BSCAI and ARCSI and a two time award winner from the BSCAI. Sharon holds workshops throughout the country for cleaning business owners. She is a designated Industry Expert for The Janitorial Store and has written industry eBooks and white papers. Sharon conducts seminars for Jon Don Stores, is on staff at Indian River State College and a Board member for Cleaning For A Reason. Sharon can be reached at 772-563-7320 or www.cleaningbusinessconsultinggroup.com