Inspirational leaders understand that in order to truly empower others, they must first help them grow. They give those they lead the opportunity to leverage their talents and use their own skills and common sense to influence decisions, add value, and make a difference.
...Leading by example may seem like an overly simple (and endlessly repeated) concept. So much so that you likely haven’t spent much time thinking about it in recent years because you already know that leading by example is important. But is this age-old principle really overrated or too obvious to even warrant reflection?
...In order for leaders to inspire others with their vision for the future, they themselves must be inspired and passionate about it!
...Inspirational leaders must paint a vivid picture of the future in order to inspire those they lead to follow them toward that vision.
...Integrity is not just a personal virtue that leaders should exemplify—they must also hold those they lead, and their entire organization, to a standard of high integrity.
...Inspirational leaders realize the importance of investing in those they lead. They are willing to invest time and resources in order to have great team members—and thus great teams and organizations.
...To be able to respond well to the needs of others, you must first make sure you are functioning well yourself.
...Communication is a critical part of being responsive. Here are 3 tips for being responsive and achieving greater success when dealing with the needs and expectations of others.
...To be a person and a leader who truly inspires others, you must be disciplined and intentional in giving people priority. Respect their time and contributions by disconnecting from distractions and committing to be fully present whenever with them.
...It is an extremely simple concept, but also an extremely important strategy for achieving greater success: Treat everyone with respect. This is particularly essential for effective and inspirational leadership. Great leaders strive to be approachable by anyone, regardless of status or title. One key aspect of that is demonstrating respect toward everyone. A great first step is …
A few weeks ago I discussed the importance of being authentic and avoiding the trap of accidental inauthenticity caused by mimicking others instead of developing and leveraging your own unique strengths. Of course, in order to act and speak authentically, you must first develop a clear picture of who you are and what your strengths …
I believe it is far more effective to focus on your strengths than your weaknesses. Don’t aim for well rounded, aim for sharp! Then surround yourself with an excellent team of people (or group of friends) who shore up your weak spots and are sharp where you are blunt.
...Inspirational leadership is less about world renown and more about individual impact. Many leaders are considered ‘inspirational’ because of the remarkable things they appear to have accomplished and the success they’ve achieved. But offstage, behind-the-scenes and down in the trenches, their attitude and character may be anything but inspirational.
...There is no one-size-fits-all system for establishing lasting, valuable habits and achieving your goals. However, there are definitely some general principles that can be helpful for creating and applying your own success system. Here are 6 tips.
...We can learn from Benjamin Franklin’s personal method to improve in specific areas through very intentional focus and repetition.
...In my book, Be An Inspirational Leader: Engage, Inspire, Empower, I spend an entire chapter on the concept of leveraging the power of habit to become a better, more effective inspirational leader. Here are 8 examples I include in that chapter of habits you might want to develop as part of your journey to becoming a more inspirational leader.
...This time of year many of us are thinking about the habits in our lives that we want to change—or new habits we want to establish. What habits do you want to work on this year?
...I have long admired the leadership and wisdom of the late General Colin Powell. I had the privilege a number of years ago to spend about thirty minutes alone with the General, and my positive perception and respect for him did not diminish one bit – in fact, it increased exponentially! He was a man …
What does your personal mission statement look like? Do you know where you’re going? Do your current actions and goals align with the place you want to end up? I encourage you to take a reflective moment and figure out just what you want to accomplish out of life.
...A key component of empowering those you lead is to give them appropriate authority. This is the area most people think of when they hear the word empower, and it is a vital component of inspirational leadership.
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