How to leverage your unique strengths in your #Microbiz in 2020!

January 10, 2020 is Microbiz Matters Day in the UK. It’s a day when all of us can celebrate the power of our micro businesses to help transform the world.  We define a microbiz as a business with less than ten employees.

There are over 4.6 million micro businesses  the UK and over 5 million in the United States. They are a silent majority of business leaders who want to change our world for the better.  Our shared goal is to create a better world through serving others through our organizations.

These businesses make a huge difference in the global economy. Many times, Microbiz doesn’t get the respect we deserve. On January 10, 2020, we celebrate their impact on our lives,  families, and communities.  

You can learn more about these businesses by attending a Facebook Live Stream at Microbiz Matters Livestream between 5:00 AM -12:00 PM EST to learn more. There are also local events around the UK celebrating Microbiz Matters Day as well.

If you’re in the UK, you can learn more at about live events on this Friday at Tony Robinson, OBE’s website. The site has details on all of the #MicroBizMatters Days so far + #PayIn30Days and the Small is Beautiful Roll of Honour. This site helps you get more involved in your Microbiz community.

I’ll be online with a group of Microbiz leaders who help you celebrate your Microbiz business’s success. We expect over million Microbiz leaders to be involved in this event over the course of the day. I’ll be online on Twitter for the wholes day using the Hashtags #MicroBizMatters and #Payin30days. Jump in and help us share the festivities. Last year we trended for several hours in the UK. Let see if we can do even more this January 10!   

One of my favorite activities for the day is Give 10 Minutes to your favorite Microbiz team to help them make the coming year better than the last.  In 2020, I plan to put together 12 programs and articles that are designed to give your Microbiz an edge in the coming year. I know these Microbiz leaders are going to provide careers for many great people over the coming years! So, let’s get started!

Successful Microbiz leaders leverage their teams’ strengths. I thought I might share several tips on how to get more out of your strength’s-based approach to business. I’ve used these ideas to help my clients increase their sales and profits over 20% a year for over 20 years. This approach to leadership increases their enjoyment in seeing others grow and contribute more to  their microbiz culture.

Working with people’s strengths make leadership a joy for everyone involved. As an added bonus, if you use this approach to potential partnerships you never lack partners for your business. We talk about the critical role of partnership in your Microbiz growth and success in a future program later this year.

Here are several leadership tips to get the best performance out of your Microbiz team in 2020. The first person you lead in your business is yourself. Learn what your strengths are and then build a business that leverages them. As your business grows, you need to learn how to evaluate and develop other’s strengths.  This capability helps you build a tremendous team over the coming years.

I learned these ideas many, many years ago from Don Clifton PHD and his Gallup organization team. Once understood, this idea hit like a lightning bolt.  Strength based leadership immediately transformed the way I develop leaders and teams.

Focusing on developing and leveraging an individual’s strengths has helped many of my clients’ organizations develop their leaders faster.  This new capability has allowed many smaller businesses to take business away from their larger competitors.

Microbiz leaders concentrate on their strengths. They must learn how to know what they excel at and learn to delegate the rest. What do you do better than anyone else? How much time do you spend doing this every day? Does your business reflect your strengths or are you compensating for your weaknesses?

Microbiz leaders learn how to identify their own and other’s strengths to build high performing teams. Now you know what you do best, as importantly, how do you identify others’ strengths? Do you evaluate people you bring on to your team by focusing on their weaknesses or amplifying the person’s strengths?  Take time during your hiring process to identify other’s unique strengths and capabilities. Do they know their own strengths? Will you be able to nurture and grow  these team members?

Microbiz leaders understand how to serve their markets through taking a more a positive approach to what they do.  When you bring your strengths to the market people feel different when working with you and your team! Once you unleash your people’s potential you never have a problem attracting your next great hire.

Microbiz leaders help others find and nurture their strengths. When was the last time you appreciated someone else’s unique capabilities? Did you tell them how much you appreciate what they did? Most team leaders leave their current role because they feel underappreciated in their job by their direct manager.

Microbiz leaders celebrate victories on a regular basis. When was the last time you told a team member, they did great a job on a project? Taking time to celebrate the little things allows you to help others grow faster.

One of my former bosses would choose a team member every week to take out to lunch to celebrate a weekly achievement. You won’t believe how far people go to receive this individual recognition. You can never give out too much positive feedback.

Microbiz leaders focus on strengths for everyone involved with their organizations. A positive approach to partnership and community help ensure your Microbiz stays at the top of your customers’ and partners’ list. Let your actions speak louder than words and you may be surprised how much easier it is to manage and lead your business when you run into challenges.  

Microbiz leaders see their business as a calling. Mission, vision, and values are not simply ideas on a paper in a successful Microbiz.  Their owners and team members are committed to creating an extraordinary experience for everyone who comes in contact with their organization. Building a strengths-based organization takes time, but the rewards can be amazing.

Take a few hours to join us as we celebrate Microbiz Matters Day 2020. See you on Friday!