As a small enterprise becomes more successful and expands, the business leader might have to consider hiring team leaders or managers to look after of the new employees coming onboard, forming a pyramid or hierarchy structure containing a number of branches or channels. Before that, the entrepreneur might have just been responsible for a smaller number of people, who he or she would've managed directly. The change will mean the entrepreneur is no longer in charge of employees directly, but through the managers instead.

While this means that the business leader can focus on other areas of the business, with the new leaders doing the leading on his or her behalf, they will be delegating responsibility, trust and control to others, who they will also have to manage - managing managers follows a different set of rules to managing employees.

So what is the best route to take when managing a leadership team? Here is a list of procedures instructing how to lead leaders properly:

Set reachable short-term & long-term goals: It may sound obvious, but it's imperative that managers understand what they're working towards. Be sure to establish clear short (monthly) and long-term (yearly) goals, that are achievable and realistic. If they have been unsuccessful in reaching their targets when expectations were clearly planned and agreed upon, then they could be held accountable; however, if no clear path has been laid out previously, it's fair to say that their leader might be the one to blame.

Check with managers before making plans: It's irritating for a leader to find out that a decision regarding his or her work or their team's workload has been decided without their consideration or without consulting with them first, especially if they disagree with the decision or could've come up with a better solution. Be sure to include managers on business-wide plans, not just to involve them but also they could pitch in with a great suggestion or improvement.

Micromanaging - avoid it: It is a simple no-no, don't do it. Managing a manager's staff - instead of them or on their behalf - should be avoided as well, not only because it can negatively affect delegation and workloads but it could also mess with then manager's plans. These are usually the sins of the small business entrepreneur - someone who used to deal with employees directly but now has a bridge in the middle, but who also feels the need to be included in everything and finds it hard putting trust in others to do the job.

Listen to your managers: Managers won't only need assistance and guidance but might also generate ideas within their own department that might influence other issues on a business-wide scale. Listen to their concerns, listen to their suggestions. A leader who does not listen to his or her managers won't ever be able to manage effectively, especially if they are too nervous to voice themselves.

Observe your managers' staff: Without micromanaging (see above), it is still important to pay attention to a department or team's progress. Do the staff seem uninterested in the work? Are they downbeat? Is there frequent absenteeism or in particular a high turnover of staff? These might very well be signals of a bad manager who is causing upset to his or her staff, which could negatively influence productivity, workloads and deadlines.

Treat each manager uniquely: At the end of the day, everyone is different, so no two managers will be identical, even if they appear to be the same in the ways they work. Being able to understand managers and tailor approaches specific to them should be considered one of the most effective ways to get the very best out of them, which should then disperse into their department or team.