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Byron Johnson – A Boss Worth Following
Byron Johnson has been successfully building teams and scaling businesses in the insurance, construction, and commercial real estate investing industries since 2008.
Leaders like Byron Johnson are not born, but made. Leadership is something that you are taught or you learn through experience. It’s as much a product of your environment as everything else. So if you want to become a leader worth following, this article has a few nuggets of wisdom to share.
Too many folks don’t seem to have a good grasp of what leadership actually means. They believe that they should be followed by the simple virtue of their position. The result of a lack of leadership is resentment, disorder, and eventually, failure.
To avoid those outcomes, be sure to pay attention to the following.
Inspire, Don’t Order
There have been many famous leaders in history with diverse backgrounds and origins. However, despite their differences, all of them had one thing in common. They could inspire their followers like no other.
While a lot of this does come down to charisma and personal charm, it’s more than that, according to Byron Johnson. It’s also about leading by example. Always arriving first and departing last. Sacrificing willingly before anyone else and asking for nothing in return.
These are the figures that people would look up to, both today and in the past.
If you want to be an effective leader worth following, you must strive to inspire. If you do, you will rarely have to order anyone to do anything.
How can you do this, you ask? Byron Johnson’s answer is to show your followers that you are willing to do as much or more for them than they are for you.
Yes, a big part of running a business is to make money. But that should not come at the cost of your workers’ safety and well-being.
If your people can see that you are looking out for them, they’ll look out for you.
Show Respect to Get Respect
Too many executives believe that their position automatically merits respect and authority. But that’s yes to the latter and no to the former. Respect is earned and you can never demand it from anyone.
Your best bet to gain the respect of your employees is to show them respect. This can be a bit tricky simply because your position does come with authority. As such, certain interactions will just automatically be awkward.
First of all, you need to speak to your workers with dignity. Condescension, shouting, insults, and snide remarks will only result in negative sentiments.
It would also be good if you can provide your employees with all of the rights and privileges as mandated by the law. This means adequate break time, privacy, and the occasional free coffee.
You might also want to avoid having a dismissive attitude towards them. Remember, your employees are not Victoria Era servants where they are seen but not heard.
Listen to them. Express sympathy when necessary. Say words of thanks and appreciation when appropriate.
As Byron Johnson points out, even small gestures of respect can have wonderful results. It also helps if you can show your people that you can empathize with their troubles.
While it is a part of professional courtesy to leave personal problems at the door, it would be unreasonable to expect compliance with this practice all the time.
Showing your workers that you are sensitive to their plight and are not belittling them for it can go a long way toward earning their respect and trust.
A Bit of Trust Goes a Long Way
Having employees means needing to trust them, at some point. Not just to keep the store running but to also handle projects without your deep involvement.
This is a very important point to drive home, Byron Johnson says. You need to let employees handle the day-to-day operations. They will make mistakes, but that’s just part of the process.
Your role will be to show them what they did wrong and how they can fix it. Giving workers a chance to learn and grow is crucial.
You can’t be expected to get involved in the nitty-gritty details, after all. They would take up too much of your time, which you should be spending to grow your business.
If you don’t let your employees polish their skills, they’ll become too dependent on you and nothing gets done.
On that note, this does not mean that you are giving up control completely. You still need to look over the results of their efforts. This will allow you to identify which of your workers are doing their jobs and which are not.
Finding earnest employees who truly want to learn and improve is how you can fill your ranks with competent, trustworthy people. Likewise, weeding out the bad eggs is how you can avoid future troubles that will disrupt workplace harmony.
You definitely want to maintain the smooth teamwork and happy air among your people. That’s still part of your job as the boss.
About Byron Johnson:
Byron Johnson is a founder, entrepreneur, and CEO known for founding a number of businesses which include an insurance agency, construction, and remodeling company. Additionally, Byron Johnson is also an investor in commercial real estate. Since relocating to Tampa, FL in late 2007, Byron opened his first Liberty Tax Franchise in 2012, and in 2014, founded Star Nsurance, a respected Auto insurance company in the heart of Tampa and Cheap Car and Homeowners Insurance, an online platform for insurance quote comparisons.
Byron Johnson also owns Embassy Construction and Remodeling, a top-notch contractor for home improvement and remodeling needs, and is also an owner of a 50+ unit commercial property located in the up and coming Seminole Heights area close to downtown Tampa.
To give back, Byron Johnson has a popular YouTube channel where he shares free tips and valuable insurance info daily. You can find him under the name “Cheap Car Insurance Guru” YouTube channel.
Byron Johnson also has a passion for playing poker. He has played poker competitively since his college days back in 2003. Recently, in February of 2020, he won a major WSOP event (World Series of Poker Event) bringing home a prestigious Gold WSOP championship ring. For more information on Byron Johnson, visit his website or follow him on social media.
Connect with Byron Johnson here:
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