Leadership is often difficult to define practically, but it’s undeniable in its impact. John Maxwell said, “If talent is the same between two teams, leadership will determine the winner.” I believe in his message. Leadership matters. Leadership, to me, is like the wind—it’s invisible, but its effects are felt. Unique the other elements, fire and earth, wind can not be seen.
So what are the impacts of leadership? I’ve learned that leadership shows up in three areas: the ability to prioritize, effective communication, and building trust.
When I started Carpe Diem Cleaning, I was immature and unhealed, yet driven by a vision of freedom and impact. Despite my dislike for cleaning, I chose this industry because it was scalable and people would pay for the service. The real challenge was that, to move forward, I had to overcome my need for control and learn essential leadership skills.
As I have developed my leadership skillsets, I have had to solve significant cultural and communication challenges. Yes it’s cleaning. However it is translating different worlds- often different languages, different cultures, difference socio-economic expectations. It’s working with women who often times have had abusive and difficult lives who don’t have a lot of practice owning their own voices. How do you build deep trust of the heart with so many different roadblocks along the way. Building deep trust with a team like this has been both a challenge and an opportunity for growth for the past three decades.
I do business to create community and impact. I truly want people’s lives changed for the better when they come downstream from who I am.
And the other day, I got a “check” to know that maybe I am on the right track for that goal.
Carpe Diem Cleaning cleans my home AND they are to treat my house like any other client’s. We ask for our clients to have each room of their home picked up (especially kid’s rooms) so our teams can focus on the actual cleaning. That particular day, we had missed picking up the playroom of our home before the cleaning team arrived. I have a four year old tornado! It was a hot mess. One of my team members felt comfortable enough to ask if they could skip cleaning my playroom. They knew it would disrupt their routine and took the initiative to speak up. YES!!!!!
My team felt free to ask to say no to the “boss.” Do you know how significant that is? My heart was so delighted. It means they feel free to speak up. They feel safe. They know we will respect their boundaries. It was one of the highest awards I could get as a business owner that I have built a great leadership team and we are building a healthy culture. I could see the gift of leadership in the impact on the playroom and how to solve! It made my week!
As I continue to build a strong team and healthy relationships, I’d like to share a valuable resource. Simon Sinek’s 9-minute video on building healthy teams is a great watch, and I hope it offers you insights into fostering a thriving leadership culture as well.
