Kevin Johnston

You can expect team success if you organize for success. Getting organized before you ever discuss the purpose or goals of the team can make or break a project. Use these tips to evaluate and upgrade your current processes. 1. Use Communication…

One of the great thrills of parenthood is getting to teach your children about life. Passing along your wisdom and setting your kids up for success has to be one of the most fulfilling things you can do. But teaching your children is about…

Cloud Solutions Are Like Building with a LEGO® Set Cloud technology can help you access markets, improve the customer journey, streamline operations, or achieve many other business outcomes. But you don't punch a button labeled "cloud" and receive…

There was a time when "strong leadership" conjured up images of a general marshaling the troops with stern directives and threats while devaluing or even humiliating those who underperform. Those days are gone. The new leadership paradigm is based…

MANAGEMENT Four Basic Reinforcement Strategies in Organizational Behavior Modification By: Kevin Johnston Updated January 25, 2019 fizkes/iStock/GettyImages By: Kevin Johnston Updated January 25, 2019 Share…

Part of being a leader for your small business involves accomplishing practical tasks. You must remain realistic and encourage employees to achieve concrete objectives with measurable results. Another aspect of leading involves symbolic efforts.…

In starting a small business, you’re the leader by default. You may have adopted a leadership style based on previous bosses you had or based on your general ideas about what makes a good leader. Examine various leadership styles and consciously…

When you start a small business, you automatically become the leader of your enterprise. Leadership requires you to evaluate yourself and your effectiveness so that you can convince employees, partners, vendors, lenders and customers to follow you in…

Your small business needs a mission statement. This statement should succinctly state the purpose of your business, what you intend to accomplish and who will benefit from your products or services. This statement may not always remain at the…

Some leadership theories emphasize innate traits leaders have that cannot be learned, while others suggest that focusing outward on tasks and goals is the way to lead. Skills-based leadership theory is predicated on the idea that there are skills…

Transactional leadership treats work as a transaction whereby an employee performs a task for a reward. That reward can be monetary or psychological. Managers who adopt this approach set out well-defined tasks for employees who fit into strict job…

Your leadership style determines the personality and effectiveness of your business. Though you may have started a business because of expertise in a particular field, you soon learn that you must also become an expert in leadership. This means…

Leadership and motivational theories take varied approaches to understanding how a leader persuades employees to get things done. The website iWise2 notes that leadership and motivational theories fall into three categories: instrumentality, content…

Poor leadership can cause employee turnover, which ends up costing your small business time and money. The expense of recruiting and training employees can eat away at profits in a company. In addition, the lack of seasoned employees can diminish…

Trait Theories Early leadership theories focused on the traits leaders need. These include physical and mental stamina, action-oriented judgment, need for achievement, ability to motivate people and adaptability. You can use a trait approach to…

Assigned Leadership Assigned leaders derive their authority from their positions in the company hierarchy. The titles you give them carry weight with the employees they lead and you expect employees to show respect for the position. Eventually,…

Skills One approach to assessing leadership and management strengths is to examine skills. Look for a manager’s ability to plan, persuade and solve problems. Planning skills include goal setting and creating objectives that lead to the goal.…

Authoritarian An authoritarian leader can push projects through to completion. If she is an expert and has a clear understanding of how to proceed, the team will follow based on her knowledge and skill. However, if team members have more expertise…

Support Initiatives When you introduce a new way of doing things in your business, focus on early adopters. These are people who are open to new ideas and new procedures. Get these key people on board with your initiatives so that others will see…

Filling Future Management Positions If your growth forecast shows a specific area of your business that will need managers in the near future, a mentoring program can be essential to your company's plans. You should team up an employee with a…