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.
...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.
...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.
...Investing in the life, wellbeing, and growth of those you lead is one of the greatest elements of inspirational leadership. Don’t let fear of losing them prevent you from investing in your employees!
...When done well and offered consistently, honest feedback is one of the most effective tools for facilitating growth and further empowering those you lead. Here are 9 tips for doing it well.
...Inspirational, accountable leaders readily respond to problems and take action to correct them. Or as Eleanor Roosevelt so eloquently put it, these leaders “Light a candle instead of cursing the darkness.”
...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.
...Humility is considered by some to be more of a weakness than a strength. But I don’t think humility is a weakness, I think it is an essential quality of a strong leader. In fact, I think it takes strength to be humble!
...Whether you’re interviewing potential new hires or are seeking a new position yourself and preparing for the interview, keep these two things in mind!
...Whatever your own self-care routine may be, chances are your little bit of “selfishness” is actually helping you be more selfLESS in the long run!
...Differences of opinion are not strictly a matter of right or wrong, good or bad, but are rather different versions of “better.”
...When writing my book, Be An Inspirational Leader: Engage, Inspire, Empower, I knew I wanted to include a section about raising up other leaders. Initially I titled that section “Implement a Leader-Development Strategy.” But as I thought about and worked on that particular chapter and really dug into the research, I realized that implementing a specific …
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 a more effective, inspirational leader, you must be continuously growing and looking for better and more efficient methods and strategies, remaining flexible and open to important and beneficial changes for yourself, your direct reports, and your organization!
...We all have to say ‘No’ sometimes—yes, many times. But you don’t need to lob that ‘No’ at someone like a cold stone. Take the time to soften your ‘No’ with a simple explanation—because this is one time when an excuse is a good thing!
...Not every ‘essential’ trait is going to be one of your personal strengths, and that’s okay. But I do believe that there is one particular success trait that really is essential, and it’s a trait that I think everyone who desires greater success can learn and strengthen.
...As a kid, did you ever make a club with your friends? You might not have had an official clubhouse, like on The Little Rascals, but you probably had a special place you hung out, and certain rules about who could be part of the club. Or maybe you didn’t create a club, but there was …
Many executives and senior leaders who claim to have an “open door” rarely see anyone outside of the C-suite walk through that door—literally or figuratively. It’s time to change that.
...For me, it was a quart of milk. Gifts and rewards, in all areas of life and work, don’t need to be big; they just need to be strategic and deeply valued and appreciated by the recipient!
...As a leader, it’s critical that you learn and leverage the many nuances of motivation for those whom you lead. The difference in effectiveness between demotivated, uninspired people and those who are passionate and inspired is extraordinary!
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