Leadership is certainly a virtue that is valuable and even critical across many facets of life, especially in franchising. Colin Powell, a former secretary of state, national security adviser and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is no stranger to leadership. Powell has spoken and written on the subject of leadership many times during his various positions in and after public service. It is no secret that people who are leaders also make the best franchisors. While Powell may not have been speaking directly to prospective franchisors, his key points are right on target. Let’s review Powell’s definition of a Leader:
1) Leaders exist to give followers what they need to get their job done. It is the followers who go into battle and accomplish the tasks assigned.
In franchising, the franchisor is the leader providing an easy-to-follow system for all franchisees to use and implement. “Just follow our proven system and you too will experience success.”
2) The most important part of leadership is instilling trust in those you command. If you have their trust, they will follow you anywhere. “Every human endeavor has leaders and followers, and your job as a leader is to inspire,” Powell said.
Franchisors lead a team of franchisees, who have bought into the system. Each franchisee is an independent business owner and is treated as such (read more on the topic of franchisees not being treated as employees and rather as business owners). As franchisees begin to see for themselves that the system works, trust is established. Loyalty follows and it is this loyalty that is powerful!
3) Leadership begins with goals. When the followers know what the goals are, everyone understands the importance of their own role for the common purpose.
The franchisor is a visionary and everything done is for the good of the entire system, with the goal of making each franchisee successful (check out our article with tips on helping franchisees be successful). The franchisor’s job is to provide a solid road map for its franchisees, resulting in happy customers, with the goal of becoming a household name.
4) People want to know that you are serving a greater purpose than just your own. “Increasingly, our people want to see leaders who are respected, leaders who are selfless,” Powell said.
Franchisors realize that their success comes from helping each franchisee succeed. In other words, speed of the team, speed of the leader. Franchisors must have a strong passion to teach, mentor and motivate their franchisees to strive for excellence (learn about other qualities the best franchisors share).
5) Express appreciation. Make sure that those under your leadership understand that you appreciate their efforts.
The best franchisors are cheerleaders with the goal of making every franchisee “a raving fan”. These franchisors constantly look for ways to recognize and reward their franchisees. They recognize that the success of their franchise system is measured by their worst performing franchisee.
6) Solve problems. A leader must recognize when someone or something is not performing well, to identify the source of the problem, and fix it (read about how franchisors can be problem-solvers for their system).
Franchisors must be aware of what’s going on throughout their system, and are always wearing the hat of a problem-solver.
Are YOU a Leader?
As a business owner you likely have many of these qualities, and perhaps you would make a great franchisor. You just need the right team, like The Franchise Maker, to help you get to the next level! To learn more about how leaders make the best franchisors and to discuss whether franchising may make sense for you, call us directly at 1-877-615-5177 or simply send us your information. We will be happy to talk with you.
