John Eades* says the best leaders regard the need to inspire their teams as a responsibility, not a choice.
There are thousands of definitions of leadership.
After studying the field for years and interviewing thousands of great leaders, I define it this way:
‘Someone whose actions inspire, empower, and serve in order to elevate others over an extended period of time.’
There are several key words in this definition but one of the most important ones is the ability to inspire others.
When you inspire others, you motivate them to do their best work; they set higher goals for themselves and achieve more.
Of course, not all business leaders think it’s their job to inspire others and they couldn’t be more wrong.
Becoming a true inspirational force in the workplace requires consistent effort and dedication, and possibly changing some aspects of how you lead.
Here are three ways to be a more inspirational leader — and remember, it’s your responsibility, not your choice.
Demonstrate enthusiasm and vision:
Great leaders fully believe in their organisation’s mission and work tirelessly to communicate their vision to others.
They display a type of enthusiasm and passion that is often referred to in psychology as ‘zest’.
As internationally-known expert in stress and resilience, Paula Davis-Laack explains in an article for Psychology Today: “Zest is closely tied to work satisfaction.”
She says that in a survey of more than 9,000 employed adults, zest not only predicted general life satisfaction but also predicted work satisfaction and whether a person viewed their work as a calling.
Even if employees may not naturally feel zest, the good news is that enthusiasm is contagious.
It’s the reason why we feel motivated to clap or cheer when others do the same thing at a sporting event or concert.
Truly inspirational leaders bring this same type of enthusiasm to their everyday work, leveraging it as a powerful motivating factor.
The key is that your zest and enthusiasm must be authentic.
Your people aren’t dumb and they will know if your enthusiasm and zest aren’t authentic.
Allow yourself to fall in love with your work and share it like you mean it.
Show you care:
One of the best ways to ensure that your enthusiasm in the workplace comes off as genuine is to simultaneously demonstrate that you care about those you lead.
While it might seem obvious, many leaders only focus on sharing their competence and expertise but forget to show others they genuinely care.
In a recent email to me, Chief Executive of Vitality Biologics, Kristofer Chaffin said helping someone feel valued starts with you.
Dr Chaffin works directly with professional athletes, like United States Olympic gold medallist, Kelly Clark, in the workplace.
For him, showing that you care is the best way to not only inspire those who might initially intimidate you, like professional athletes, but to earn their long-term respect and trust.
“Business leaders must consistently show that they care through active listening, constructive feedback or seeking out an individual’s opinion when making a decision,” Dr Chaffin said.
“People are far more likely to buy into what you ask of them if they feel you genuinely have their best interests at heart.”
Take time out to speak with different people in your organisation.
Ask questions and truly listen so you can better understand their needs and how to reach them.
Don’t be afraid to ask about what is going on in their life both inside and outside of work.
Inspire by action:
Inspiring leaders don’t just talk the talk. They also walk the walk.
They live out that definition of a leader by focusing on their actions and their example.
Demonstrating hypocrisy in any facet of what you do will lose the respect of your team and make it that much harder to motivate and inspire it.
Consistently giving your best effort and following through on expectations and promises will inspire others to do the same.
One of the tricks I teach is called the PTS Method. It’s short for Prepare to Serve.
The method is simple: Anytime you change environments, say to yourself: “Prepare to Serve.”
This technique will have you focused on your actions and example with much more thought.
Ultimately, what you do will matter far more than what you say if you wish to become a truly inspiring leader.
As you consistently follow these principles in your interactions with others, you will serve as a lasting inspirational influence who helps others achieve greater outcomes.
*John Eades is the Chief Executive of LearnLoft and author of F.M.L. Standing Out and Being a Leader. He is also the host of the Follow My Lead Podcast. He can be followed on instagram @johngeades.
This article first appeared on John’s LearnLoft blog.
