Every tanning business, and any other business for that matter, has a boss. But not every business has a leader. While every boss manages employees and makes decisions, a true leader is someone who steers his or her business like a pilot does a plane. They have a map, know the destination and checkpoints along the way, and are able to anticipate obstacles and navigate around them to reach the intended location as efficiently as possible.

Real leaders are also defined by relationships. They don’t direct and control — they coach. Everyone know who’s in charge, but employees are made to feel like partners in the business. Leaders invest in their employees, and develop mutually beneficial working relationships that keep everyone happy and engaged. And leaders know how to turn those relationship into a work culture that goes beyond individual relationships and perpetuates itself even as employees move on and rare replaced by new ones.

Examine, in detail, these concepts that separate a boss from a true leader.

Strategic Thinking and Decision Making

Every move, every decision is part of a bigger plan. If you don’t have a concrete strategy with specific, measurable goals for where your business is headed, you’re more of an instructor than a leader. How can you lead when you don’t even know where you are going? When you’re confronted with a decision, stop and think about how the options fit into the grand scheme, and choose accordingly. The option that seems right at surface level might not make so much sense in the bigger picture. Some small business are intimidated by the word strategy, thinking it’s some complicated concept that only big companies use. But there’s nothing wrong with simplicity. Just treat it like a road map — decide where you want to end up, then find the best way to get there.

Click here to read the entire article in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine online.