ASHI and MEDIC First Aid Blog

A successful small business starts with successful leadership at the top. Today’s blog takes a quick look how small business owners can improve their leadership game to help their company thrive.

In their article “15 Business Tips Every Entrepreneur Should Know,” Entrepreneur Magazine reminds us that the “soft skills” and a little self-reflection are just as important as industry and market knowledge when it comes to organizational success. Their tips include these morsels of food for thought:

• The problem is probably you.
  90 percent of all problems are management problems. When things aren’t going well, the first place to look for answers is in the mirror. 
• Your people are not your kids, your personal assistants, or your shrink.
  If you use and abuse them that way, you will come to regret it.
• Learn two words: meritocracy and nepotism.
  The first is how you run an organization – by recognizing, rewarding, and compensating based solely on ability and achievement. The second is how you don’t run an organization – by playing favorites and being biased.
• Learn to say "yes" and "no" a lot.
  The two most important words business owners and founders have at their disposal are “yes” and “no.” Learn to say them a lot. And that means being decisive. The most important reason to focus – to be clear on what your company does – is to be clear on all the things it doesn’t do.
• Trust your gut.
  This phrase is often repeated but rarely understood. It means that your own instincts are an extremely valuable decision-making tool….[T]he key is to know how to access your instincts. Just sit, be quiet, and listen to yourself.

You can read all 15 tips here.

A special shout-out to our ASHI and MEDIC First Aid Training Center leaders: We’re down to the last few copies of our G2010 program materials. If you still have G2015 instructor updates to finalize, log in to Otis today to complete the process for your instructors so they can use the new materials in their classes.