Become a Better Small Business Leader by Learning from Successful Founders

Leading a business requires many skills, from problem solving to coming up with creative ideas. Even the most successful entrepreneurs need to continually improve. Read on for lessons from some of the biggest names in business – and members of the online small business community.

Become a Problem Solving Master Like Elon Musk

Whatever your personal opinion of Elon Musk, it’s undeniable that he’s solved lots of complicated problems successfully. All entrepreneurs need strong problem solving skills. So learn from the master in this Inspire to Thrive post by Lisa Sicard. Then visit the BizSugar community to see what members are saying.

Learn from the Founder of McDonald’s

Whether you want to own a franchise or start your own global brand, there are many lessons to be gleaned from the founder of McDonald’s. Adam Hansen details the success of Ray Kroc in this Small Business Sense post. And the BizSugar community chimed in with additional thoughts here.

Motivate Your Employees

Strong leaders know how to keep their team motivated. This may look different depending on your team size and company structure. But the basics of motivation are pretty universal. Get essential tips in this SMB CEO post by Ivan Widjaya.

Don’t Blame Others for Business Problems

When you own a business, you’re ultimately responsible for its successes and failures. It’s tempting for leaders to pass blame to others when something goes wrong. But taking ownership of mistakes can help you grow. Ryan Biddulph of Blogging from Paradise goes into more detail on the subject in this post.

Determine Your Company’s Core Values

If you want your company to be successful, you need to define what that success looks like. Core values can provide a strong guide to entrepreneurs and their team members. Rachel Strella of Strella Social Media elaborates in this post. And BizSugar members added their own thoughts to the conversation here.

Build a Working Model of Your Solution

Problems are inevitable when running a business. But creating a working model of a potential solution may help you overcome challenges more quickly. Marty Zwilling of Startup Professionals Musings goes over the concept in this post.

Keep Employees Satisfied and Engaged

Happy employees tend to work harder toward your business objectives. But it’s not always easy to keep high levels of satisfaction and engagement. Get some helpful tips in this Small Biz Viewpoints post by Harry and Sally Vaishnav.

Make Sure You Have Enough Resources Before Buying a Franchise

A big part of being an effective leader is being realistic about what you can accomplish and managing resources wisely. Today, business and franchise owners are facing increased costs due to inflation and other factors. So Joel Libava of The Franchise King explains why those interested in buying franchises may need more money than before.

Enhance Your Creativity and Leadership with a Business Coach

Even if you’re already a successful business owner, there’s always something more to learn. Especially if you lead a team or work in a creative field, a coach may help you grow even more. Read more about the benefits of business coaching in this Noobpreneur post by Robin Waite.

Find Opportunities Your Competitors Are Missing

Leading a business is often about finding opportunities that your competitors aren’t taking advantage of. This is true in many areas of marketing and operations, including SEO. David Leonhardt shares three SEO opportunities in this Anthony Gaenzle blog post. And members of the BizSugar community commented here.

If you’d like to suggest your favorite small business content to be considered for an upcoming community roundup, please send your news tips to: sbtips@gmail.com.

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This article, "Become a Better Small Business Leader by Learning from Successful Founders" was first published on Small Business Trends