Service Matters, Leadership Matters and Ideas Matter

Your ideas deserve to have a chance. But sometimes we abort them before they can even get off the ground. It’s not that every idea is great, but every idea deserves to be considered, evaluated, vetted for weaknesses and possibly perfected.

Every business is driven by an initial idea. Even as you protect the practical parts of the business, do things to protect the dreamer in you:

-the one who believes you can make money and do something that matters at the same time;
-the one who believes you can create something that doesn’t exist;
-the one who believes you can solve problems that others ignore.

As you grow your business, be sure to give that part of you a chance to grow too. In “5 Tips Today’s Entrepreneurs Can Learn From J.K. Rowling,” Susan L. Reid says:

“Focus on the unique something you have to offer to the world. The rest will surely come, in ways you may not even be able to imagine.”

Business is driven by service.

We build businesses around taking care of people but it’s easy to get caught up in the list of what has to be done and forget that business really is about the people who want and use what you have. It’s all about taking care of them.

In “What Do Today’s Fast Food Junkies Like?” Joel Libava refers to a study by Market Force that tries “to find out why customers chose one fast food restaurant over another.” It turns out that friendliness and customer service matters more than you may think.

To me, service is a key way to differentiate your business. Take care of the customers and take the service to another level.

Leadership is driven by service.

John Mariotti, in “What Makes an Effective Leader?,” says:

“Effective leaders have to be ‘servant leaders.’ They have to be coaches and cheerleaders and collaborative problem solvers…Only when a tough decision must be made should the boss/leader step up and say, “OK, here’s what we need to do.”

Taking a service position allows you to step back and see your team. It gives you the space to create an environment where they can be heard. You need to know what they know, and the only way you can do that is by listening.