What is the key word here? I’ll give you a hint: It’s not studio and it’s not success.
Leading your studio to success is up to you. You are the leader so how you manage, delegate, make decisions and surround yourself with valuable employees will determine the outcome of your studio. Leading your studio absolutely does not mean, going it alone. You will not get to where you want to go if you think you can do it all yourself. It is vital to get your staff on board but it is your job to make sure they know your mission, your values and your goals.
These are important reminders not just for the newer studio, but for the experienced studio as well. Don’t get caught up in your comfort zone and don’t let yourself get burned out. Keep it fresh each year and keep working on your leadership skills. When you empower those around you, your success and your potential will grow exponentially. As author Shawn Achor says ‘Small potential is the limited success you can achieve alone. Big Potential is the success you can achieve only in a virtuous cycle with others.”
So, what steps can you take to make sure you are leading your studio to success?
1. Be CLEAR on what success means to you.
It is different for every business owner so it is important for you to know what it means to you. Does it mean a certain salary for you? Does it mean reaching a certain number of students or units? Does it mean having more time off? Get out your journal and start writing!
2. What are your goals for your studio this year?
This goal setting and checking needs to be done every year. When I was just starting out in my business and revenue was bleak to say the least, I set a goal of reaching a certain amount in revenue per year. 6 years later I well exceeded that goal. If I had not been constantly re-writing and reevaluating my goals and my business I would not have achieved what I have thus far. Goal setting is not a one and done occurrence. Keep that journal going each year with new things to achieve. Keep it fun and keep it interesting. Growth is fun; stagnation is stressful and leads to burnout.
3. Ok so you have made it through steps 1 and 2, phew!
You know what you want and you are clear with it. Now you must surround yourself with a support system to get you there. This support system can be family and friends, but that’s not enough. Unless you want to be a solo-preneur the rest of your life you need to know how to hire employees that will help in your journey, but it’s not enough to hire outstanding employees. You must know how to get those employees on the same page as you. You must know how to share your vision and goals, yet empower your staff to help in the process. Hire people you can trust, give them opportunity to soar but continue to be the visionary so the ship does not go off course. You will be amazed at what the right employees can do for your business.
4. Be open to step out of your comfort zone and do not let yourself be guided by fear.
Embrace change each year. That could mean embracing new technology to help streamline your procedures, save time or improve communication with your clients. Offering online registration is not synonymous with giving up control of who goes into what class. You ultimately make the decision about class placement because you are what? The LEADER. But offering online registration shows your parents you are progressive, you embrace change and grow each year. Isn’t that what you ask of your students?
5. Give yourself permission to be YOU and don’t apologize for it.
What you want for yourself and your studio is a personal choice. It doesn’t matter what the competition is doing or what your studio owner friends are doing. However, listening to others, getting feedback and consistently working on yourself and your business will pay off in the end.
6. Lastly, give up all of your excuses.
Being a leader can be fun and motivating. Yet, it can also be lonely and challenging. When things go right, celebrate. When things go wrong, analyze it and make adjustments. Taking responsibility in all situations is what will get you to the next level. Blaming an employee, your landlord, a student, a parent, the economy, the new studio that opened up down the street, etc. (you get it) will not help you LEAD to success. Be accountable for everything that happens at your business. This may not always be easy but I guarantee you it is the catalyst to getting where you want to be. Whatever that may be!