People are a company's greatest asset!

Do you want to be successful? Probably yeah. Even if you have a kick ass idea and funds to scale big you need the right people to make it out there. It's not a one man show. You need to work on you and your team's skill to lead the company in the right direction. Some people have what it takes to do it and some don't. But you can train and improve yourself and the team. For a time now you can't hide behind your business. Your clients and staff need to be inspired to follow you and believe in you. The competition is higher than ever so genuinity and innovation is then something super important to stand out. If you need help with personal development or your team we can push you in the right direction but you need to do it yourself. Here I wrote a few examples of how you can develop.

How can you be successful?

There are many personal skills and experiences that can contribute to running a successful business, here is a few:

Leadership skills: The ability to inspire, motivate, and lead a team is crucial for success in business. This includes setting a clear vision, communicating effectively, and making tough decisions.

Adaptability: The ability to pivot and adjust course as needed is important in an ever-changing business landscape. Successful entrepreneurs are able to spot trends and opportunities, and adjust their strategies accordingly.

Financial insight: A solid understanding of financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management, is critical to the success of any business.

Sales and marketing skills: Knowing how to effectively sell and market a product or service is key to generating revenue and growing a business. I think sales skills are something that needs to be given to the whole team. It's not up to the sales people to close every deal. Yeah they can open doors but you need to inspire with your vision for clients to love you and your product.

Networking and relationship-building: Building strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders can help drive business growth and open up new opportunities. Find partners out there. They will help you spread the word and promote you if you give them the same treatment.

Industry experience: Having relevant industry experience and knowledge can provide valuable insights into market trends, customer needs, and competitive dynamics. If you don't have it try to find valued people that have it in your team.

Persistence and resilience: Starting and running a business is not easy, and it takes persistence and resilience to overcome challenges and setbacks along the way. Never forget what your idea was and how you got it. Stick to your plan and you can refine it along the way but dont change it unless you find it was the wrong way. It will take time and sometimes you stop believing in your idea but the hockey stick effect will come if you keep the persistence and believe in your goals.

It's important to note that no one have all of these skills and experiences, and successful entrepreneurs often surround themselves with a team that complements their strengths and weaknesses. People like me can help you find the people, train and evaluate your team. I want to help you to be successful!

Common mistakes, good or bad?

Learning from mistakes is an important part of personal and professional growth for any successful leader. I made many mistakes that cost both time and money during my years. I don't want any of them to be done even if they were a pain in the ass at the moment. They led me to make better decisions and get to know me and my team better. Here are some ways a leader can learn from their mistakes:

Take responsibility: Praise the mistake and take responsibility for it. This shows humility and a willingness to learn.

Reflect on the mistake: Reflect on what happened and why it happened. What could have been done differently? What were the contributing factors? What were the consequences?

Seek feedback: Seek feedback from others, including team members, mentors, and trusted advisors. This can provide valuable perspectives and insights that can help identify areas for improvement.

Identify lessons learned: Identify the lessons learned from the mistake and develop a plan to apply those lessons going forward.

Develop a growth mindset: Adopt a growth mindset, which focuses on learning and development rather than perfection. This mindset can help leaders view mistakes as opportunities for growth and improvement.

Move forward: Use the experience as a learning opportunity and move forward. Dwelling on mistakes can be counterproductive, so it's important to take what you've learned and apply it to future situations.

Examples!

I asked my dear friend ChatGPT, to give me some examples of weak and strong leaders and what stands out in their leadership.

Strong leaders:

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, has been credited with transforming the company's culture and refocusing on cloud computing and AI, which has resulted in strong financial performance.

Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, has been praised for her leadership during the company's recall crisis, as well as her focus on innovation and sustainability.

It's important to note that leadership is complex and multi-dimensional, and there are many other factors that contribute to a leader's effectiveness beyond their public persona. However, these examples provide a snapshot of some leaders who have been widely viewed as weak or strong in their respective roles.

Pablo Isla, CEO of Inditex (parent company of Zara), has been credited with leading the company's global expansion and for his focus on sustainability and innovation.

Ben van Beurden, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, has been praised for his leadership in the company's transition to cleaner energy, as well as his focus on safety and ethics.

Weak leaders:

Travis Kalanick, former CEO of Uber, was known for his aggressive leadership style, which led to several high-profile scandals and controversies at the company.

Marissa Mayer, former CEO of Yahoo, was criticized for her lack of strategic vision and poor communication skills, which ultimately led to the company's decline.

Sergio Marchionne, former CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, was criticized for his autocratic style and for not investing enough in electric vehicles.

The Team!

Building a strong team is crucial for success. If you find the right mix of people they will challenge and elevate each other. The spirit will help everyone to be better together. Here are some key steps to build a strong team:

Foster a positive culture: A positive and supportive culture can help to attract and retain talented employees. This includes promoting open communication, collaboration, and a sense of purpose. Culture is very important, it builds the whole team spirit. I think the culture is a factor in how fast and successful your company becomes.

Provide feedback and recognition: Regular feedback and recognition can help to motivate and engage team members. This includes providing constructive feedback and recognizing team members' accomplishments and contributions.

Clearly define roles and responsibilities: It's important to clearly define each team member's role and responsibilities. This helps to avoid confusion and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Hire the right people: When building a team, it's important to hire people who have the necessary skills, experience, and values to help the company succeed. This includes assessing candidates for both their technical skills and their cultural fit. The best CV is probably not the best choice if they don't match the rest of the team. They will spend a lot of time together and need to function when they work together.

Encourage continuous learning: Encourage team members to continue learning and growing by offering opportunities for professional development and training.

Set clear goals and expectations: It's important to set clear goals and expectations for the team, and regularly check in on progress to ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards the same objectives.

Train everyone in sales: Even if they don't work directly with sales everyone is helping to make it happen. The opportunities are everywhere and small things can lead to big clients in the future.

Attract the right people!

Talented people may not be found on a CV database. You need to attract them in the same way you attract your clients. People will probably be your greatest asset if you find the right ones.

Why: You need to tell them why your company exists. Why do you change the world or why is your company something that stands out from the crowd. The vision is crucial for the right people. They want to be proud working for you and your business. Think about this, if you tell the story right they will spread the vision and your great leadership with friends and family. They will follow you and not the day to day task. I'm not saying the task is not important but without a strong vision they will not feel passion.

Offer competitive salaries and benefits: One important factor for many people when considering a job offer is the compensation package. Companies that offer competitive salaries and benefits packages are more likely to attract top talent. Often the salary is not the most important benefit but the small things around it. Cool gears, nice workplace, work from home, happenings, benefits like pension, fitness etc.

Create a positive company culture: People want to work for companies that have a positive, supportive culture. This includes things like clear communication, collaboration, and recognition for good work. They want to have fun working for you.

Offer opportunities for career growth: Top talent wants to work for companies that offer opportunities for professional development and career growth. This can include things like training programs, mentoring, and promotions from within.

Have a strong employer brand: Companies that have a strong employer brand are more likely to attract top talent. This includes things like a positive reputation in the industry, awards and recognition, and positive reviews from current and former employees. Again, make them proud working for you!

Use innovative recruitment strategies: Companies can use innovative recruitment strategies to attract top talent. This can include things like social media campaigns, referrals from current employees, and attending job fairs and other networking events. Invite them to your office and give them a great experience and some beers and pizza. Trust me it works :)

HR/Talent manager: Finding people is a sales job. When you look for a new HR responsibility person, try to find the one who loves to scout new talented people. They will look under every stone to find the skills. It's more sales than browsing CV’s.

We tried everything in the book together with a few controversial tricks to find the right people. It works and I would love to tell you more about it.

Mistakes

Here are some common mistakes that companies make when hiring talented people:

Focusing too much on technical skills: While technical skills are important, it's also essential to assess a candidate's fit with the company culture and team dynamic. Hiring someone solely based on their technical abilities can lead to a poor fit and high turnover.

Rushing the hiring process: Companies that rush the hiring process may end up hiring the wrong person for the job. It's important to take the time to thoroughly evaluate candidates and ensure that they have the necessary skills and experience for the role.

Not providing adequate onboarding and training: Even the most talented employee needs time to adjust to a new company and role. Providing adequate onboarding and training can help ensure that new hires are set up for success.

Neglecting to provide opportunities for growth and development: Talented employees want to be challenged and grow in their careers. Failing to provide opportunities for growth and development can lead to dissatisfaction and high turnover.

Ignoring the importance of culture fit: Hiring someone who doesn't fit with the company culture can lead to conflicts and low morale. It's important to assess a candidate's values and personality to ensure they will be a good fit with the team.

Looks good on paper: You might find the perfect CV but don't get that awesome feeling when you interview the person. Trust your instincts and gut feeling. If you don't love them on the first meeting you will probably have a problem later on.

To build a team and attract the right people isn't easy. But don't rush! The right people are your ticket to success and you don't want to fail here. That will give you a very long ladder to climb and lack of focus doing so.

Mikael :)