Type the word ‘Leadership’ into google 💻 and watch how many different titles pop up. There’s no shortage of perspectives on this topic.
I cannot think of another subject that has been published about more broadly and extensively in the last 20 years than leadership.
If we espouse the essence of leadership as the world’s foremost author and speaker (John C. Maxwell) on the subject would define it, than leadership at its core is influence.
What are we as married entrepreneurs doing with our influence? How are we leveraging it to work in harmony with our spouse while using to grow our business?
I’m convinced that more often than not, we’re so engrossed with working in the business that we’re not working nearly enough on the relationship.
It’s not enough to be infatuated with or romanticize the idea of ‘leadership.’ As married entrepreneurs, too many of us have failed to prioritize our development in this critical area.
Leadership is about using our influence to be positively effective.
However, great leadership is also about encouraging and building up others to become their absolute best. Beginning with our spouse.
I’m convinced that great leaders are not intimidated by the talents and gifts others possess. In fact, a great leader will invest in and employ the talents and gifts of those around them. Beginning with our spouse.
Here are three primary ways to increase your leadership capacity and that of your spouse.
PRIORITIZE LEARNING: Good leaders don’t become great leaders by thinking about or buying a few books off Amazon. The path to great leadership is paved with purposefully learning the principles of those who are doing it well and applying what works and what fits.
DON’T TOLERATE EXCUSES: Now you would think this would go without saying. Too many married entrepreneurs give way for excuses. Sadly, the more we tolerate excuses the more excuses we make. Nothing will hinder our success and cause us to lose credibility with our spouse and customers more than excuses. Great leaders manage expectations and have contingencies, not excuses.
INVEST IN TEAM DEVELOPMENT: It takes knowledge and experience to get better at anything. As you make learning a priority make sure that you and your spouse are learning together. This will convey your desire to the team (even if it’s just the two of you for now) that growth is a team effort.
Ultimately, this will foster a team culture and one of accountability.
Sway and I have prioritized learning together and we challenge one another daily. Prioritizing becoming better leaders transfers to our team members and sends a powerful message to our clients that we take them seriously.
If you want more inspiration and real strategies for marriage, marketing, and ministry, hop on over to our podcast Marriedpreneur Life for iTunes or MarriedpreneurLife.com (or you can search for us on your favorite listening platform too!)
