Rebecca Houghton is an HR and management expert. In this piece, she presents four important questions you should be asking yourself if you’re a small-business leader.
Small-business owners often get a bad rap when it comes to management – but honestly, I think that reputation’s a bit unfair. You’re close to your people, you check in regularly, you lead by doing, and you’re not hiding behind layers of hierarchy. You spot potential, solve problems on the fly, and coach in real time. There’s a lot to like.
Still, there’s always room to level up – especially in a time-strapped small-business environment. Becoming a better boss doesn’t mean doing more; it means being smarter with what’s already on your plate.
Here are four questions every small-business leader should ask themselves:
Are you clear on when you’re ‘in the trenches’ and when you’re in manager mode?
Small businesses need you to roll your sleeves up and pitch in. That’s a given. But they also need you to lead – to make decisions, set direction, coach your team and step back to see the bigger picture.
It’s easy to default to doing, especially when things get busy. But if you’re always stuck in the weeds, who’s doing the strategic stuff?
So, decide when you’re in what’s called ‘maker’ or ‘manager’ mode, which is a fancy LinkedIn business book way of saying: know when you’re doing the work versus leading the business.
As a leader, you need to control the pace of the work, create space to think, and then make the case by influencing the direction of the company.
None of this happens if you are constantly stuck reacting to what’s right in front of you.
Leadership needs breathing room – if you don’t create that space, you’ll end up stuck in the day-to-day instead of moving the business forward.
Are you delegating clearly and with development in mind?
Handing off work without a clear purpose or clear expectations is a recipe for rework – usually landing back on your desk. And let’s be honest, no one has the time or headspace for that.
If you only delegate the dull stuff, your team won’t grow – and you’ll stay stuck doing the very tasks you’d love to let go of. Delegate with clarity, and delegate for development. That’s how you build capability.
Are you managing expectations – yours and everyone else’s?
When you’re always on, always busy, and always stressed, your performance eventually takes a hit. So ask yourself: Are you managing your own expectations? Are you setting realistic boundaries? Are you being clear with your team about what you can and can’t do, and when? What about your clients – are they getting clarity or chaos?
Are you celebrating the wins?
There’s always another deadline. Another customer. Another deal. Another challenge. That’s life in a small business – progress never stops.
But if you don’t take a stop to celebrate the milestones, it can all start to feel like a thankless slog. A quick shout-out in a team meeting, a Friday lunch, a moment to say “we nailed that” – it matters. Celebration builds momentum.
Managing well in a small business isn’t about perfection – it’s about intention. These four questions don’t take long to ask, but they just might save you hours of wasted effort – and make you a boss people want to follow.
