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How to Find Your Best Leadership Voice

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As the leader, you are, and always will be, a focal point. You are the final decision maker. You are the protector of your salon/spa's vision. You give, or hold back on, raises. You have the power to hire and fire. You are the voice of the salon/spa. And, because you are a focal point, your employees learn to read you like a book. They can tell when you're happy, and they can certainly tell when you're upset. All you need to do is walk into your salon/spa with "that look" on your face, and your team knows to stand clear.

All that you are ... and are not ... communicates through your leadership voice. Your leadership voice is uniquely yours because it embodies who you are, how you think and how you behave. It’s heard in many ways beyond verbal expression. Your demeanor speaks. Your written words speak. Your voice, inflection and tone speak. Sometimes your leadership voice communicates perfectly. And then there are those times when your leadership voice communicates in ways that can be damaging.

Here are my No-Compromise Leadership thoughts on finding your best leadership voice:

  • Be perpetually aware: Because you will always be the focal point, you must be perpetually aware that all you do and say is communicating information that is being interpreted by others. This doesn’t mean you should be freaked out that you’re being constantly watched. It simply means that you need to be aware enough that you keep yourself in check to avoid sending the wrong, or unintended, message. Don’t let your bad mood cast a bad mood funk on everyone around you. Don’t make inappropriate statements you will later regret. Don’t behave in ways that can tarnish your ability to lead, or the reputation of your salon/spa’s brand. A leader is a leader 24/7/365.

  • Different voices for different situations: If you need to cheerlead your team to hit goal, then be a cheerleader and let your people see and feel your passion. If you need to address a serious problem, then be decisive and address the problem thoroughly so that everyone understands what went wrong, what needs to be done, who’s responsible for getting it done ... and by when. Never play the blame game. If your team hit goal, accomplished something great, had a win - celebrate it. Shine a spotlight on it. Wins feel good. Great leaders make wins feel even better.

  • Respectful always: Being respectful in all you do is non-negotiable. Great leaders never talk down to people, never belittle people and never use harsh words to beat people down. Personally, I always do my best to be respectful to others, and I will never tolerate being disrespected by others. A leader is a decision maker and a coach. You can be forceful and direct without being disrespectful.

  • Passion isn’t numbers driven: If all you focus on is the numbers ... and you’re frustrated that your team isn’t stepping up to hit those numbers ... you’re communicating in a way that isn’t being heard. People fight for a cause - not a number. Yes, people want to win, but the number is simply a score that tells them if they won or lost. Inspiring your team to be the best, coaching them to be the best, cheering them on to be the best - that’s what fuels the passion that leads to incredible wins. Scoreboards and goals are measurements. Coaching and inspiring your team to offer the best professional guidance and recommendations, to relentlessly pre-book and up-sell, to create extraordinary service experiences ... that’s the leadership voice that ignites the passion to achieve the best possible numbers.

  • Never go ballistic: Leaders that go on ballistic tirades are simply uncontrollable jerks. Tirades don’t fix problems - they make problems worse. If you can’t control your temper, you will never achieve the level of effective leadership you’re capable of. If you feel like you’re going to explode, excuse yourself and take a walk or separate yourself from whatever is setting you off. When your head is clear and your emotions contained, you can re-engage as leader.

  • Repair quickly: If you’ve messed up ... fess up. All leaders make mistakes, bad decisions and say things they regret. Making a sincere apology is the first step to mending something you’ve broken. It’s just hard for those you lead to hear your leadership voice when the one thing they want to hear is an apology.

  • Voice appreciation: Please don’t be stingy when it comes to giving kudos, atta boys and thank you’s. It’s so easy in the heat of battle and chasing goals to allow accomplishments to pass by unappreciated. Expressions of appreciation cost nothing, and yield wonderful returns. Expressions of appreciation, both one-on-one, and with the entire team, lift people up. Appreciation makes the effort worthwhile. Appreciation refines your culture. Appreciation shines a spotlight on the right behavior for others to emulate. Expressing appreciation is the most essential part of your leadership voice.


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