[00:00:05] Hello, and welcome to today's episode of the Grow My Salon Business podcast. I'm your host, Antony Whitaker, and as always, it's great to have you here with us today. Thank you for all the compliments regarding the podcast. We really do appreciate it. And if you're one of those people who haven't yet left us a review for the podcast, I would love it if you did.
[00:00:24] The ratings and reviews are extremely helpful. They do matter in the rankings of the show and it helps other people to find the podcast. And of course we always love to hear what's been helpful to you. 
[00:00:36] So all you need to do to leave a review is go to either the Apple Podcast app or the Spotify app and search Grow My Salon Business. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and leave a review and you would make us very happy, like Debs and Geoff, who just posted a five star review this week titled:
[00:00:55] Godsend to our industry, and they went on to say, Antony has a wealth of knowledge and experience much needed in our industry. I love the podcast, and I find them so motivating and educational and firmly believe that without Antony, my business would not be where it is now. Thank you so much. You are a star.
[00:01:14] Well thank you Debs and Geoff, that's very much appreciated. Uh, I do value that you've taken the time to do that. It does mean an awful lot to me. So with that said on with today's show. Now most listeners to the podcast are also salon owners. So let me ask you this. As a salon owner, how do you think of yourself?
[00:01:33] And probably more importantly, how do those on your team think of you? Are you the boss, the manager, or the leader? And there is another term as well, and that is. Owner, I'm the business owner. It's something that happened. It's something that you've done. Being the owner feels important. It feels like you've achieved something and it positions you as the person in charge.
[00:01:58] Whereas being the boss, the leader or manager has a different feeling about it. They all feel suspiciously, not like something you've done. But like something that you have to do and you do, and in most cases there's a lack of understanding about what it is that you're meant to do and how your success as the boss and the manager and leader will be determined.
[00:02:23] But let me come back to that in a few minutes. At some stage, you've probably heard the expression, people don't quit jobs, they quit managers. Now, as a blanket statement, I don't know how much truth there is in that, but it's certainly true for some people. In the salon industry, or for that matter, any client facing service based business, it's essential to have a sense of unity and dedication from everyone that's on your team, because at least in theory, you're meant to be working as one cohesive unit, all with the same goal in mind, which is happy clients, happy team, and a profitable business.
[00:03:01] In fact, if you take any one of those components away. The happy clients, the happy team, or the profitable business, then the entire business will inevitably come to an abrupt halt. A successful salon business really does require a team effort, and a team effort requires leadership. So if your business is falling short of your expectations, it might well be because of the people on the team and something they're doing or not doing, which then results not just in a negative atmosphere, but also in high staff turnover and the inevitable negative financial impact on the business as well.
[00:03:46] But here's the thing, the problem may not be with your team, and I know that this might come as a bit of a shock, so I do promise not to tell anyone else, but believe it or not, the problem might actually be with you, or more specifically, the problem might be caused by your style of management. And that's why it's important that you recognise the difference between just being the boss.
[00:04:13] And being a leader who inspires others to become the best version of themselves possible. 
[00:04:20] Even just the word boss comes with connotations of someone who's more likely to be exerting their authority and creating an environment of this is my way or the highway.
[00:04:32] But here's the thing. I think that there's a balance to be found somewhere between being the old school boss versus being someone who naively believes that everyone will do the right thing at the right time when left to their own devices. And I think our industry has, in many cases, gone way too far in that direction.
[00:04:52] And I think it happens because building a business, managing and leading a team of people is hard. It's really bloody hard. And as most salon owners don't know where to start, they do the best with what they know. And sometimes they come across as tyrants, and other times they come across as complete pushovers and neither are effective.
[00:05:17] But there's a balance between those two extremes. And it's called leadership. And if there's one thing lacking, not just in the industry today, but in the world today. It's real solid, reliable, and dependable leadership. The boss mentality is an approach that's often fearful of change. It's fearful of losing control, and as a result, it creates a culture of anxiety for the people on your team because nothing ever feels like it will be good enough for you.
[00:05:51] And as a result, you don't get loyalty and trust out of your people. Instead, you're more likely to get resentment and a lack of commitment and doing everything a bit half-assed as a result, whereas a true leader doesn't need that degree of control. Instead, he or she has people on their team that believe in them, people that follow them, people that trust them.
[00:06:14] And when you can create that environment, that kind of culture, that's where innovation, loyalty, and new ways of thinking, new ways of working and new leaders on your team are created as a result. So if you are a leader in the salon context, you need to be aware that your style of management and leadership has an impact on everyone on the team, and therefore the culture and atmosphere within the salon.
[00:06:41] If you are the heavy handed boss that discourages innovation and new ways of thinking, then that discourages trust and fun, and a willingness to try harder or to do better, or to go the extra mile. As a result, it destroys creativity and sharing ideas, and it inhibits the salon's ability to stay relevant and to grow.
[00:07:03] And in that scenario, everyone loses out. And so how do you transition from being a boss to being a leader? Well, like most things in life, it's not easy. Requires work and it's never ending, but it's a process that I think starts with you recognising that perhaps just perhaps, that your management style is part of the problem.
[00:07:26] It requires a little bit of self-reflection, a lot of commitment, and a willingness to change. Begin by listening more. And I hope my wife isn't listening to this… and talking less, becoming more introspective and engaging more with your team so that they are more willing to open up and share. I think that perhaps people don't do this because they don't wanna come across as being uncertain.
[00:07:55] They don't wanna come across as being weak or indecisive, but being a little more vulnerable and listening more and being more prepared to listen and even change direction. It doesn't make you weak. It makes you human. As a leader, your job is the development of your team. The best way to achieve that is to spend less time instructing them and more time listening and engaging with them.
[00:08:20] So start by defining a clear vision for the business, and then establish a clear, obtainable objective for everyone on your team, and then put in place the resources and the support to make your vision become a reality. And a crucial step in that process of leadership is acknowledgement, recognition, and celebration of every win that every individual on your team achieves.
[00:08:46] And that's a never ending process. And if you embrace a style of leadership that puts the emphasis on growing the individuals on your team, on teamwork, on shared goals and mutual respect, then you start to create a salon culture that attracts and retains the best people. I feel that I'm constantly saying, your business is a reflection of you, and if you don't grow, then your business never will.
[00:09:12] And I am constantly saying it because it's true. Often I meet salon owners who seem surprised that along with everything else that they have to learn when they become a business owner, they also have to think about the management and leadership style that they'll adopt or learn. And as I said, your business will ultimately be a reflection of you and your leadership.
[00:09:35] So if the goal is to have a team of motivated, loyal, and well-trained individuals, then you need to embrace becoming a leader and not just a boss. If you do that, you'll be rewarded with the team that feels supported, respected, and inspired, and as a result, they're more likely to stay with you for longer and they're more likely to contribute to the growth of the business.
[00:10:00] But be warned, becoming a leader, that's not one of those things that you do and it's done. It's not a box that you tick. It's an ongoing, never ending process of inward reflection, of learning, of personal growth. Now, sometimes it's two steps forward and one step back. But you can do it. I believe in you. So before we start wrapping up this episode, can I ask you a little favour?
[00:10:26] Can I ask you that you take a selfie of wherever you are listening to this podcast, whether it's in the car? Thanks, David from Dublin or at the beach while you're out running. Thanks. Aristides from Athens or walking the dog. Thanks Gordon and Cody from Chicago. 
[00:10:43] And so whatever you're doing and wherever you're doing it, then take a picture of yourself and email it to me, antony@growmysalonbusiness.com or post it to your Instagram and tag me in it @Grow My Salon Business. Okay? So with that said. We do need to start wrapping up this week's episode.
[00:11:02] For further information visit grow my salon business.com to find out more about our free resources as well as our grow books, our online courses, and our one-to-one coaching programs. Have a great week and don't forget to tune in next Tuesday for another great episode of the Grow My Salon Business podcast.
[00:11:20] Until then, bye for now.