Being a leader, and having a workforce to answer to, is probably one of the biggest challenges in business because while you’re leading and motivating your team, you’re also constantly innovating. Effective leaders need to balance this, and still, as Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it, “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Let’s examine some of the biggest challenges faced by business leaders in their pursuit of success.

Building an Effective Workforce

The challenge of having quality people in your corner when you’re leading an organisation is one that has always been, and will always be, one of the most difficult challenges to face a leader in business. It starts with effective and well-considered recruitment, but it goes much deeper than that. Correct specifications on job descriptions and the ability to screen employees on what could be just an hour-long interview with them is of the utmost importance.

Some of the things that recruiters might look, and leaders should be striving, for in their workforce and new staff for the organisation are:

• Communication skills
• Decision-making capabilities
• A good sense of direction
• Proven competence

Motivating and Inspiring Their Staff

Motivation is something that many leaders spend their entire careers trying to perfect and improve. How do you get your staff to buy into your vision and the mission of your company and inspire them to give it their best? You can’t do everything your staff want to make their work-life as pleasurable as possible, but sometimes compromise is necessary to get the best out of them.

Some good ways to motivate your workforce include:

• Your working environment – the workplace should be friendly and appealing because your team is spending a large part of their lives there.
• Thank your employees – Always express your gratitude and thanks for a job well done, both publicly and personally.
• Reward your employees – Rewards don’t necessarily need to be cash, but you should always reward your employees if they are performing well. Consider extra time off and flexible working hours.
• Encourage career growth – your top performers aren’t going to be complacent forever in the roles they are currently in. You want to encourage growth and offer career paths, so they have room to grow.

Navigating Through Change

People are incredibly resistant to change, and driving change is going to be a challenge. Learning how to guide change and managing and mobilizing your staff and workforce to be behind you when change needs to happen is an incredibly valuable skill, and likewise often a big challenge.

Change management is one of the biggest challenges you’ll face as a leader. Click here to read some more on change management and other issues facing leaders.

Addressing Culture Issues

Organisational culture is the foundation of any good and effective company and being a leader that can address issues with organisational culture is another invaluable skill. Because culture is so rooted in human nature, creating a healthy culture often means addressing things at a very emotional level. 

As a leader, you have a responsibility to lead the organisation by practicing the culture you want to see within your workforce and stand up ahead of your colleagues, showing what values they should be displaying.

Some good values to practice for strong organisational culture are:

• Always publicize and make everyone aware of achievements.
• You should be fair and show tolerance and respect.
• Reward and encourage your staff to show innovation and experimentation.
• You should always drive the need and benefits of teamwork and collaboration.
• Drive and practice a competitive spirit in your team to a healthy degree.

Balancing Respect and Being Liked

Leaders have a desire for their staff to like them on a personal level. While this is an admirable goal and something you should try to get right, it definitely shouldn’t be your primary focus. You should be aiming for your employees to show you a healthy level of respect while avoiding ruling with an iron fist and having your workforce fear you because that’s going to lead to productivity loss and a lack of buy into your vision – and a bad start to your company’s culture.

Being a business leader is an incredibly taxing and challenging position to be in, and it requires a broad range of skills and a unique understanding of both what motivates people and what drives a business forward. Being adaptable and flexible is the start of an enormous bouquet of management and leadership skills.