I want to share my #1 lesson from running a small business …
People are the most valuable, inimitable asset.
Until you’ve harnessed the power of your team, your business will not reach its full potential.
You can copy machines, IT systems, procedures, software etc. What you can’t copy is your people, your team and your culture. This is why it is inimitable.
And everything is driven at some point by a human being. There are human touch points along every service or product delivery journey. And of course, because they are human, they have the highest potential for human error. But that’s why, if you get your people practices right, you are also tapping into the single greatest opportunity to create unique strength in your business.
Powerful is a key word here. Your people are powerful. So when you harness them as a leader, you are realising your own power.
I think we often miss this point. Managers often seek authority in a position title and then hire people ‘beneath’ them. This is all too often coupled with a scarcity mentality – a need to protect their position and their knowledge. But actually, leaders truly realise their own power by having great people working with them, and enabling them to reach their potential.
So treat your people like they are valuable and inimitable and see just how far you can go together.