Local businesses are the heartbeat of the communities we live in, and although we may not always realize it, we rely on them daily. The pandemic put many small businesses in uncharted territory.
What stood out was their resilience. Despite roadblocks and challenges, they have shown incredible courage, ingenuity and leadership. And to me, that leadership has been the stand-out differentiator for businesses that thrived during the pandemic and for the ones that continue to do so.
As a leader myself, I’ve learned a lot of lessons over the past 23 years, and I’ve also learned so much from speaking with business leaders and owners. So for my part, these are the top leadership lessons I consider really valuable and that I will be taking with me into 2023.
Fail fast, learn and move forward – When things are changing constantly, the teams I see thriving feel empowered to make decisions, freely experiment and, as I like to say, “fail fast, learn and move forward.” Failure is often a necessary step to innovation. The worst thing we can do is stagnate, resist change and not make decisions.
Know your team and know yourself – Strong leaders know their team. I firmly believe that true success is collective, and it’s key to take the time to get to know your people so you know how to motivate them to go after your shared goals together. Similarly, take the time to get very clear about the kind of leader you want to be. If you aren’t being authentic, your team won’t be happy or motivated, and neither will you.
Diversity is vital – When you bring people together with different backgrounds, cultures, education, gender, experience, knowledge and ideas, it drives incredible creativity and innovation, which makes for better, more resilient business.
The journey to being a great leader isn’t always easy, but it will be worth it as you drive strong outcomes for your business, high engagement for your teams and amazing experiences for your customers.
On behalf of everyone at TELUS Business, here’s to a happy and healthy 2023 for you and yours.
Navin Arora
Executive Vice-president TELUS and President, TELUS Business Solutions
Navin leads nearly 6,000 purpose-driven team members who are redefining what it means to be a technology company. Together, he and his team help businesses owners, leaders and teams use TELUS technology to thrive in a digital world.
As part of his national portfolio, Navin oversees all customer segments, right from the small business in your neighbourhood to the largest government and private enterprises across Canada. Since joining TELUS in 1999, he has spent time in almost every corner of TELUS, leading several business units and transformational programs that have driven strong growth, customer loyalty and operational excellence.
