How you communicate determines the response you get.

Culture is often created through the actions of the business owner which means you do influence the culture of your business. You can also make it negative place to work. Simple awareness of this is crucial, and from there you can create a business culture of your own design. What kind of culture or vibe do you have at your workplace?

This should come as a no-brainer for most, yet there's too many times where there's a lack of clarity which creates friction within your business. Roles and responsibilities need to be clear and documented in order to avoid confusion and friction. When you recognizing this as the business leader you put people in the right position to succeed in their roles.

Many times this is a case of the business leader thinking they've given clear direction, yet the outcome wasn't what was expected. Expectations cover a wide range from showing up on time to how one interacts with customers. Many expectations are established within the culture of the business. Others, like production objectives, have specific goals and are demonstrated in the numbers.

Not having meetings, thinking they are a waste of time, is an excuse for you not to prepare for a meeting. This simplest way for you to be heard by all responsible parties is to conduct short, well-run, meetings consisitently. You turn this into a rhythm by making it same day/time each week. It also means you have a deadline to get your thoughts prepared. Effective meetings are essential to success.

Above we talked about culture and how the leader can cultivate it through their actions. Having clarity about your business as its leader is essential because the purpose and vision evolves over time. What once seemed like the perfect fit for your business is a changing landscape. Businesses adapt, yet the purpose and vision needs to adapt as well. Then it needs to be clearly communicated to others responsible. It's this kind of thinking that spurs your marketing message as well.

As the business leader people look up to you which means they will judge your behavior. Do you do what you say you're going to do? Do you follow through? Others know you care about your business and they also sense when you care more about it than others. Your actions are a mirror that reflect the culture of your business. It's not always easy when under fire, yet building trust among employees and customers is essential to success.

It especially hard for a busy small business owner to garner feedback knowing there are issues for which they don't have answers. It's opening the proverbial can-of-worms. Yet it is exactly this level of inclusion that employees urn for -- a place and time to share what they see and hear. When issues are explored and resolved within the team, it gains strengthen. It's your role as the leader to make this happen and facilitate the dialogue.

You as the business leader establish what's important to you, and frequent communication needs to be near the top. It's the single most essential strategy to build Alignment within your business. This can feel uncomfortable for some individuals who don't consider themselves good communicators. Remember this is a process and you can develop yourself into an Influential leader if you choose. Transparency and sharing are traits everyone has the ability to do. It's a strength of many good business leaders.