Leave behind the inspiring leadership image of a packaged person, dressed in a gray suit and carrying a large briefcase. The outstanding leaders of today come in all shapes and sizes. She could be a marketing student who wears jeans, running a large internet commerce company from her dorm in college. He could be the next Steve Jobs, gray-haired and barefoot, presenting a revolutionary device at a major industry conference.
“Our research shows that what really matters is that leaders are able to create enthusiasm, empower their people, instill confidence and inspire those around them,” says Peter Handel, chief executive of Dale Carnegie Training , a training company. of inspiring leadership located in New York.
We know that this is a lot to ask. However, and no matter how different leaders are today, there are some things that great leaders do every day.
Top keys to effective inspiring leadership here
Face the challenges
The great leaders are brave enough to face difficult situations and deal with them honestly. Whether it’s going through a business crisis or making troubled employees refocus, effective leaders openly face these challenges. Constant communication with your staff, and informing them of both the good news and how the company is reacting to the changes, contributes to your employees feeling that you trust them and that it is unlikely that you will surprise them with unpleasant news.
Earn your trust
Employees are more loyal and enthusiastic when they work in an environment run by people they trust. There are many ways to build that trust. The first is to show your employees that you care, says Handel. Take interest in them beyond the office. Recommend not snooping, but you can ask your employee about your child’s baseball or graduation. Let your employees know that you are interested in their success and discuss career opportunities with them on a regular basis.
When employees, salespeople or others make mistakes, do not scold them with anger. Instead, explain calmly why your actions or behaviors were not correct and what you expect from them in the future. When people know you will not scold them and that you are interested in what is best for them, they will trust you.
Be authentic
If you’re not the type that wears suits, do not try to be. Employees and others who deal with your company can see if you are pretending to be someone you are not, says Handel. That will make them question in what other things you can not be authentic. Are you passionate about extravagant shoes? Use them. Are you a histrionic and enthusiastic presenter? Make them laugh. Use your strengths and personality traits to create your personal style of inspiring leadership.
Earn respect
When you behave in an ethical manner and give the example of the traits you want to see in others, you earn the respect of those around you. Leaders who “preach but do not act” do not get very far, according. This helps employees and other stakeholders take pride in the company and wear the shirt for it, which is an essential part of the commitment. In addition, customers are less likely to do business with a company if they do not respect their values or inspiring leadership.
Stay curious
Good leaders are intellectually curious and committed to learning. They are inquisitive and are always on the trail of new ideas, data, information and information. And the new methods can come from many parts so they are always attentive to the sites or people who can give them information and with it an advantage.
What is Inspiring Leadership?
It is inspiring because first they design the road map to know where they should go as an organization and then, because they are able to mobilize their teams promoting the change by setting an example, rolling up their sleeves and putting their hands in the dough.
- They inspire because wherever they go, they transmit their evolutionary vision, so that it can be deeply in depth and maintained in a constant and sustainable way over time.
- It is manifested by the leaders who have self-confidence, who are capable of letting go of control and excess power to trust fully in their teams without needing to be “watching” or “confiscating”.
- Inspiring leaders lead from the commitment and from the link with the brand of your product or service.
- They lead their teams under the slogan that uncertainty is the new paradigm with which we must know how to live together; Even they are the first to not be paralyzed in the face of the digital and cultural tsunami.
- They know how to develop their teams to work more efficiently and become a high performance team
How to be an inspiring leader?
Inspiring leader, team members is a fundamental need, a necessary requirement to optimize their performance and loyalty. The good news is that you do not need to be a professional speaker to get it. These are some ideas that will help us to achieve it:
- Be a value model. When middle managers show value, this inspires other people to do the same.
- Take a stand. Share your perspective and be open. The most inspiring directors have a solid vision of how things should be. Leadership
- Reject politics! Many of us are fed up with politics, and we would gladly follow and respect leaders who speak more clearly and sincerely, even if we do not always fully agree with them. Empty speeches are nauseating.
- Listen more, talk less. Show your employees that you value contributions and collaboration. This also applies to their counterparts. Show the members of your team that you respect and include your peers.
- Overcome your goals and do not rest until you get it. Leaders who feel satisfied with mediocre performance (even if they can prove it is not their fault) are uninspiring. People want to work for successful directors.
- Put yourself in the shoes of your employees. In fact, trade the post with your employees from time to time. Show them that you want to understand how they are and what they feel in their world. In addition, you will learn a lot!
- Reject the exaggerated benefits. Okay, you won the promotion, but avoid flaunting it and take the position of rejecting the privileges that separate you from your team. Think about how you felt when you were in charge of them. Try to share the benefits through great experiences such as conferences, training, product offers and other motivating elements.
- Be the representative of the needs of your employees before senior management and their counterparts. Take the initiative to improve things. This communicates your intention to serve them and is very inspiring.
- Be the best expression of your unique style. We are all different, so become the most elegant version of yourself as much as possible. Like a high quality wine, become the fullest expression of yourself.
- Let yourself be inspired by others. Talk about your role models and why they inspire you.
- Uninspiring leaders have to struggle to get the job done. Inspiring leadership are important to the success of the organization because of the effect they can and should have on others.
Improve your leadership skills
The habits can be a trap for people who hold leadership positions. As leaders, they must provide a compelling vision that inspires those around them. Instead, many of them get carried away by automatic thinking and established rules. That can affect the decisions they make and the actions of the people who depend on them.
Making a New Year’s resolution to have a more open mind in 2018 will probably not be enough to change things. There are behaviors and practices that, through repetition and perseverance, can help leaders and anyone else develop a mindset that is open to listening and considering new ideas. This is the main basis for learning how to be a leader who inspires others.
Characteristics of an inspiring leadership
People like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Teresa DE Calcutta are examples of leaders who continue to make their mark on current generations. Do you want to become an inspiring leader like them? We invite you to develop the characteristics that these people had in common.
Trust
Trust is the first thing that every leader seeks to obtain from those around him. When people are led by someone they trust, they are more loyal, enthusiastic and less reserved. To gain confidence, show a sincere interest in others. Let them know that they count on you and that you want the best for them. And when someone makes a mistake, do not scold him with anger. Explain calmly why your actions were not right.
Authenticity
Be yourself! Work your strengths and your personality to develop a unique leadership. Great leaders are not characterized by a lack of weaknesses, but by the presence of great qualities.
Positive attitude
Extraordinary leaders focus on the positive side of life, express their gratitude and seek self-motivation. They know that if they are not motivated, they can not motivate others. That enthusiasm and passion are contagious qualities that generate great achievements.
Courage
Inspiring leaders face challenging situations and deal with them honestly. Do not give up, because you know that success is in perseverance.
Empowerment
Great leaders care about teaching and sharing their knowledge, so that others improve their skills and can act for themselves. They foster a climate of freedom that allows people to have initiative and experience.
Thirst for knowledge
All good leaders live in constant search for new knowledge. They are people who care about innovation and the generation of new ideas. They are not afraid to make mistakes, since making mistakes is part of learning.
Lead by example
Inspiring leaders show coherence between what they say and what they do. They act in an ethical way and exemplify the qualities they want others to have, and in this way, they gain the respect of those around them and inspire them to be better.
You too can become an extraordinary leader! Try to inspire the people around you, your family, friends, coworkers and coworkers. And remember that the best legacy a leader can leave to the world is to inspire others to achieve their own greatness.
Finally, the inspiring leadership use their strengths to motivate individuals and teams to take on daring missions – and hold them accountable for the results. They release greater performance through empowerment, not command and control. To become this inspiring leadership, companies today expect them to break free from entrenched myths of the past. Thus, they can focus on new competencies, strengthening themselves so that they can meet the desired goals of the company and not let employees disperse before the processes.
