As we know, the world of business can change rapidly. And as we’re being drawn into the demands of the everyday, it can be easy to lose sight of the organization’s values.

But it’s when we become overwhelmed and stressed and challenged that we need to lean into those chosen values the most.

Otherwise, we risk running an organization that is based on empty promises.

We need to continue to prioritize the values to not only foster a positive workplace culture but also drive long-term success. To truly make values thrive, we must actively create an environment where they are not just words but rather they are integral to every aspect of the business.

So what can leaders do to help create an environment where values thrive?

Review your core values

We need to start at the beginning. We need to start with reviewing the core values because before values can thrive, they need to be well-defined and still relevant. Start by revisiting those core values. Are they still...

As entrepreneurs, we’re frequently required to navigate the challenges that come with a dynamic and often unpredictable business world.

We create forecasts and budgets for the upcoming year, strategies and goals, and metrics to measure it all.

But as the year marches along, we need to stay on top of this roller coaster of highs and lows.

We can better prepare for this journey by implementing a few strategies that allow for adaptability and resilience over a rolling twelve months.

So what are some key considerations for leaders when planning on a rolling twelve months?

Hold a Quarterly Review

One of the most important aspects of planning is to hold regular reviews. Because if it's a plan that you never review, it will very quickly become out of date.

Doing a quarterly review means that we get to adapt our annual plan for the next 12 months, and so that's how we end up with that rolling 12 months. An annual plan, of course, is an important idea, and I still do the annual plan at...

As leaders, we rely on obtaining frequent and transparent feedback from our team members both for personal and organizational growth.

Constructive feedback not only helps us make better-informed strategic and operational decisions, but it also helps foster a culture of open communication.

And as most leaders know, it’s a lot easier said than done.

So what are a few things leaders should consider when working at drawing out more quality feedback from your team?

Have You Built Trust?

Trust is the foundation of any successful feedback exchange, and team members must feel secure and confident in sharing their thoughts and concerns with you.

If team members are worried about your reaction or if they're worried about what's going to happen to them after they share what they have to share with you, then they're just not going to do it. Or they might do it a couple of times and then be like, “What's the point?” So you really want to make sure that you are not contributing...

Finally, you found someone to replace you and perform a specific task. Maybe it’s even a task that you never liked doing and you cannot wait to get this off your plate.

You set up a meeting, start training the person, and then… you find yourself wanting to nudge them aside and take over.

You feel they’re not doing it right. You try to explain. You demonstrate. But nothing seems to be working. You’re tempted to just forget the whole thing and take the delegated task back.

Will that really serve you?

Unlikely.

So what can you do when struggling to train someone on a delegated task?

Was the task the right one to delegate?

The first thing to look at is ask yourself was the task the right one to delegate? Sometimes there's this desire to get rid of tasks because we don't like them. It's something that we can't stand doing. It's something that drains us. It's something that we drag our feet on because it's just miserable. And we try every trick in the book,...

As a leader, no matter at what level, you will likely at some point find yourself wondering whether you’re making the right decision.

The degree of self-questioning will likely vary depending on your knowledge, skills, experience as well as how you feel about your role as a leader.

For most, the doubts will pass quickly-ish and you’ll move on with your day.

But for some, making decisions with high-levels of impact creates constant anxiety. To the point of it being incapable of actually making a decision. In extreme cases, it can devolve into an actual case of imposter syndrome.

So what can leaders do should they find themselves potentially dealing with imposter syndrome?

Understand what it is that you’re dealing with

The very, very first thing is, let's understand what it is that you are dealing with. The Oxford Languages defines imposter syndrome as: “The persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved...

If you’re a solopreneur who has been juggling all the tasks in your business, you may be feeling the pressure of getting it all done. But not JUST done. Done and with quality.

You may have considered hiring some support but are unsure what you could be delegating. Or even whether you should.

So what can solopreneurs or small business entrepreneurs do to determine what and whether they should delegate?

What can you afford?

The very first thing to look at is what can you afford? Have a good look at your budget, look at your revenue, look at your expenses, and have a good look at those expenses. Review your subscriptions. Have you been spending money on subscriptions that you haven't used in months? And, I know, I frequently hear: “Oh yeah, but I might use it.” Well, how about we deal with it when it comes?

Because if you haven't used it for months and months, chances are you don't need it unless it’s an annual subscription paid per month, but that's a whole...

If we’re to believe social media/the internet, then when we find our “true calling”, when we follow our “real passion”, when we’re “fully aligned”, running our own business our way, there will be no such thing as work.

It’s all going to be bliss, successes and an embarrassment of riches.

I’m just going to go ahead and pop that little balloon.

Running a business should be mostly amazing, fulfilling moments. And, unfortunately, there will always be parts that just plain suck.

No matter how aligned and fulfilled and joyful and all the things the work is for you, there will always be parts that are just plain draining.

So what could entrepreneurs do when they are faced with tasks that they find incredibly draining?

See if anything can be responsibly delegated

The first thing is to see if there's anything that can be responsibly delegated.

Obviously, if there's something that you truly dislike doing that can be delegated, then...

In one of the recent episodes, I talked about ensuring that your new leaders were both technically proficient as well as effective.

And in response to that, I was asked, what about cultural differences and background in the team or with the new leader and what about levels of experience and skills and the difficulty to reconcile them?

Again, thank you so much for the question!

Because I felt that these were two complementary topics, I chose to address them separately. In Part I, which was the previous episode, I answered “What about levels of experience and skills and the difficulty to reconcile them?”

And, now, for Part II, let’s answer what can new leaders do to help address varying levels of experience and skills and the difficulty in reconciling them within a team?

Begin with an assessment

Start by addressing the various levels of experience and skills within the team by reviewing who is in your team. The needs will be different. The time commitments will be...

Recently, I talked about ensuring that your new leaders were both technically proficient as well as effective.

And in response to that, I was asked, what about cultural differences and background in the team or with the new leader and what about levels of experience and skills and the difficulty to reconcile them?

First, thank you so much for the question.

Second, let’s talk about it!

I feel that there are really two distinct topics here, and, therefore, I’ll divide them in two parts.

So for Part I, let’s answer what can new leaders do to help address cultural differences and backgrounds between themselves and/or the team?

Start learning

Like many leaders, I am not a DE&I expert. Although I do my best to educate myself in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion, it is not my specialty. And the risk, of course, as we know it, is in the unknown unknowns. As in what do I not know that I don't know?

Personally, to get help with that, I have turned to hiring...

There are days, as a leader, when it feels like all we’re doing, all day long, is directing traffic.

Getting individuals unstuck by answering their questions, course-correcting projects by providing needed feedback, slowing some down who might be skipping a few steps and getting a little too far ahead.

And when that happens, it’s also usually when there’s an audit of some sort that suddenly pops up requiring a bunch of documentation “tomorrow” and the day is filled with meetings and you’re supposed to be working on the next strategic move.

So what are a few things that leaders can do to get through these “traffic control” days as best as possible?

Recognize that part of our role is to support the team

Whether we like it or not, it's part of our role to support the team. Being a leader does require a lot of energy for us to generate and dedicate that energy to guiding and supporting the team.

Unfortunately, it tends to happen in big...