The Salon Owner’s Shortcut to a Team that Performs (Without the Push)

By Dwight Hodge

There’s a moment almost every salon owner hits — when you wonder, “Why am I working harder than everyone else?” You’re showing up early, fixing problems, smoothing over tension, trying to motivate the team, and still not seeing the results you want.

’Here’s the truth no one tells you: it’s not your work ethic that gets your team to perform. It’s your leadership.

And not just any leadership — confident leadership.

The Myth of “Being a Good Boss”

Too many salon owners are stuck trying to be the “good boss”—liked, helpful, and accommodating. And let’s be honest, you probably are a great boss. You care, give second chances, and pitch in when things get busy. But over time, that kind of leadership can actually hurt your business. Why? Because if you’re always stepping in, smoothing things over, and avoiding hard conversations… your team learns to lean on you, not lead themselves. Confident leadership is different. It’s not about control or being the loudest in the room—it’s about being clear, consistent, and calm. This is the key to building a team that actually shows up, steps up, and sticks around.

What Confident Leadership Looks Like

Confident leadership is made up of three simple things — and when you start doing them consistently, your entire salon shifts.

1. You Say What You Expect — Clearly

If your team seems unsure about what’s expected or doesn’t follow through, there’s usually a gap in clarity. Confident leaders don’t assume people “should just know.” They communicate in a way that leaves no room for confusion.

• “Our target is 70% rebooking. Let’s look at how you’re tracking and talk about how to lift it.”

• “It’s important that we’re all setting up 15 minutes before the first client. That’s nonnegotiable.”

• “This is what success looks like in this role let’s work toward that together.”

Clarity creates confidence — for you and your team.

2. You Follow Through — Consistently

The quickest way to lose a team’s respect? Say one thing and do another.

Confident leadership isn’t about having the perfect plan — it’s about following through on the one you do have.

That means:

• Having the check-in, you said you would.

• Giving feedback when it’s needed, not just when you feel brave enough.

• Holding your standards even when it’s uncomfortable.

Your team learns more from what you follow through on than what you say.

Consistency builds trust. And trust builds momentum.

3. You Lead the Energy — Without the Drama

You don’t need to be the “hype boss” or pretend everything’s fine all the time.

But your energy matters. Teams look to their leader as an emotional barometer.

If you’re panicked, scattered, or short-tempered — it spreads.

If you’re grounded, honest, and focused — that spreads too.

Confident leaders don’t fake it. But they manage their state, set the tone, and choose to respond instead of react. They ask themselves, “What does my team need from me right now?” and lead from that place.

Try This This Week

Here’s something simple that can help you shift into confident leadership straight away: Pick one team expectation you’ve been unclear or inconsistent about.

Then do this:

1. Say it clearly. Tell your team exactly what you expect moving forward.

2. Explain the “why.” Help them understand why it matters to the guest, the team, and the business.

3. Hold it. If needed, follow through with a check-in or feedback conversation — kindly but firmly.

Even one moment of clarity backed by followthrough builds leadership strength. And that strength compounds.

What Confident Leadership Isn’t

This isn’t about being harsh, rigid, or emotionally distant.

It’s not about turning into a “my way or the highway” boss.

And it’s definitely not about doing it all alone. Confident leadership is about being grounded in your values, standards, and beliefs and knowing that your team can and should rise to meet those standards.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be consistent enough to create safety, structure, and belief.

Final Thoughts

Running a salon will always have its moments of chaos — that’s part of the industry. But you shouldn’t feel like chaos is an all-day everyday part of life.

The moment you step into confident leadership, everything starts to shift:

• Team performance improves.

• Conversations get easier.

• The emotional load gets lighter.

• And you get to run your business with more energy, clarity, and freedom.

This is one of the core shifts we help salon owners make in the Freedom & Profit program. Once confident leadership clicks into place, everything else gets easier.

So, the question is: where could you lead more confidently this week?

Dwight Hodge is a salon owner, leadership coach, and creative powerhouse on a mission to help stylists and salon owners build profitable businesses they love. With over 20 years of experience as a business owner, director, and mentor, Dwight blends industry insight with deep coaching expertise to unlock lasting momentum.

Through his coaching practice, The Creative Leader, he helps ambitious salon pros boost profit, sharpen leadership, and create more freedom behind—and beyond—the chair. Dwight is an ICF-accredited coach, a Master Practitioner of NLP, and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Victorian College of the Arts.

@dwighthodge_leadership_coach