The chemistry of inspiring leadership: 5 ingredients to make it work!

What is it exactly to be an inspiring leader?

When I looked at the attributes of all the inspiring leaders, I had a long list of adjectives that was not very useful. What was exactly the “secret formula” that made these men and women different from the rest? If I am very honest, there were two concepts that really united all of them.

100% real

The first one was authenticity. These people were real and sometimes larger than life. They had a style, they had a voice, they even had a perfume that I could describe to you. What is important in all this is l the authentic way that they were carrying themselves.

When they talked to me, even if they were angry, tired or frustrated, these leaders were 100% real. It was not a fake version of someone else. No, it was with their heart, their emotions, their own way of thinking that they were addressing them to me.

And the fact that they gave me the raw and real version of themselves was like a gift. I felt honored and trusted to see them with their real personalities, their dreams and their fears.

A sense of adventure

Another aspect that really united this cohort was the sense of adventure.

Oh boy! How much I have enjoyed being on these journeys! The times in my career when I had the most fun were the times when I had the feeling of being part of a something much bigger than me.

Yes it is true, there was business goal, there was a business plan and all the investments attached to it but to be very frank, it was not really what mattered.

What mattered was this incredible feeling of being part of a moment of history. Yes when I was with them, I was witnessing a specific moment in time that would never happen again. If I was on a business trip with them, I could easily close my eyes and imagine on the Silk Road at the time of the first discoveries.

This is the feeling that I wanted to capture, this is the formula that I wanted to decipher. I have tried to move away from the emotions of following an inspiring leader and I have tried then to decipher the special code that they were using.

Ingredient #1: Being part of the Big Picture

When I worked with them, I have always been part of the big picture and I have been able to read the context as much as what they were doing. I became the “eyes” of the people that I was working with.

I remember a very specific day when I was in the Pudong Airport and that I was on my way to Seoul. I remember the tone of their voice when they told me. “I trust you to do everything that is right. I am just asking you one thing. Be my eyes, be my glasses and report to me everything you observed.”

To be very honest, I had never thought that I could become the eyes of someone else. The feeling was incredible. It was very empowering.

Ingredient # 2: Clarity on the role you play

With these leaders, clarity is key.

You know exactly the role that you have to play as well as the role of others around you. It makes things easy, it makes things efficient. You do not waste your time defining your scope and its boundaries. The clarity helps you to hit the ground running.

Ingredient # 3: Empowerment

You are also given all the room that you need to play. You are empowered. You are usually independent and autonomous. You feel that you are in charge of your destiny.

Ingredient# 4: Belonging

You have a strong sense of belonging and you feel very close to your team mates. You know whom to turn to when you are facing difficulties and your colleagues are mainly here to support you and to guide you.

Ingredient# 5: Fun

Yes it is true. You are really striving in your role and you feel a great sense of adventure and fun! Going through the ups and downs of your journey is as enjoyable as watching a movie in a theater.

Your turn: What are you going to bring on your own adventure?

You are already an inspiring leader for a lot of people. Among these 5 ingredients, which one do you want to add to your leadership style to make your journey and the one of others even more exciting?