Things Demanded of Leaders

It has already been a year since I left the company I was working at to concentrate, in earnest, on my current consulting business. It was originally a wholesale distributor, but five years ago, I was put in charge of the online business department and worked hard to make that department thrive. Each year, I lead the department to grow greater, so even until the moment I left, it was a company that I left with great regret. However, there was only one reason that convinced me that I had to leave the company. It was because I felt that the company owner, who was also my partner, and had continuously conflicting opinions.  I felt that my achievements thus far were being underestimated.

The strategy for sales is always changing and is changing even now. This is due to the market changing at rapid rates, and the strategy for sales is possible only by first reading the trends. For that reason, despite being unable to move consumers with methods of the past, the owner of the company would not leave his attachment to the legacy of the past, let alone attempt a new change. Attempting to continue on as a success story without embracing change or even passing along authority can only be described as a contradiction.

Truthfully, it was not just conflicting opinions with my partner that led me to leave the company. Since it is impossible to always have the same opinions on everything, all we had to do was fix something if it went wrong or compromise with each other, but the biggest problem was that I constantly felt that I was not being trusted. No matter how great an achievement was, my partner monopolized it, and I always felt pushed to the back when it came to being rewarded economically or psychologically. No matter how much I motivated myself, I did not want to live constantly being stressed and at odds with my partner who was persistently opposed for the sake of opposition. Who ends up losing the most if you split open the belly of a goose that lays golden eggs?

So I have focused myself on my new business, and as I look back on what I learned in business for the last 10 years, I am trying not to repeat the negative things I have learned. I work especially hard not to forget these experiences as I work with employees and mentees. Because I know, firsthand, that direct delegation from a rigid organization hinders success, so I try to give them as much autonomy as possible and let them use their own discretion. This is because it is the role of the leader to help others grow through this kind of motivation, and their growth is also the growth of the company. Of course, there is no right answer to what makes a good organizational culture, but the most important thing in running a company is to ultimately have good communication and trust.

“In business, value is made by people, and in commerce, profit comes from people.”

Last week, I heard the news that the company I left would be closing in three months. Although it was gratifying to hear, it was also regrettable. I thought of all results of the hard work and effort I poured into the company for the last four years was going down the drain. Since it was a small community that did not communicate at all, it may have led to the well-anticipated result. It just took a bit more time than I had expected.

If you still feel that the existing rigid organizational culture is the way to go, just as stagnant water eventually rots, if you do not seek change, you should understand that you will end up regressing. Also, communication and trust are the items that are most demanded of leaders in business, and employees working towards the same goal are the most valuable assets to leaders. Ultimately, those who can win people over will succeed.