Why Leaders Should Seek to Inspire Those Around Them

Leadership is a powerful force that can shape individuals, organizations, and our entire world. While there are various styles and approaches to leadership, the best leaders possess the ability to inspire those around them. These exceptional leaders can motivate and guide others, sparking enthusiasm, commitment, and extraordinary performance. Leaders that inspire their employees foster a positive and productive work environment. By role modeling behaviors, leaders set the tone and spark enthusiasm, commitment, and a sense of purpose among employees. When employees feel inspired, they are more likely to perform well, take initiative, and be champions for the organization. This ultimately leads to improved employee satisfaction and overall organizational success. Inspiring leaders cultivate loyalty and trust among employees. When leaders are genuine and authentic, employees recognize it and are more prone to being committed to the leader’s and the organization’s success. Employees with an inspirational leader are more likely to grow and become long-tenured employees. Leaders with an inspirational mindset are also more likely to prioritize employee well-being and create a strong sense of inclusion and belonging. When employees feel valued, supported, and know they belong, they are more likely to remain committed to the organization and its goals. Inspired employees tend to have higher levels of job satisfaction, leading to increased performance and more employee referrals for open roles. Inspiring leaders also help employees to overcome challenges and achieve collective success. Leaders seeking to improve employee satisfaction and improve organizational success, through inspiration, should:

Share the Organization’s Vision and Purpose. The foundation of inspiring leadership lies in owning and clearly articulating the organization’s vision and purpose. Exceptional leaders articulate a vision that resonates with their employees, providing them with a sense of direction and meaning. They create a clear and aligned narrative that excites and motivates employees to passionately and consistently meet and exceed organizational goals. By communicating a purpose that goes beyond individual and team goals, leaders inspire others to believe in something larger than themselves and strive for personal and organizational excellence. Bain & Company launched a research program, of 2,000 employees and found that inspiring leaders are incredibly diverse, which is a reminder to organizations to hire inspirational leaders that are right for motivating all employees within the organization. Inspirational leaders excel at sharing the organizational vision and purpose in a way that gets employees excited to support and promote what is best for the organization. By effectively communicating the vision, inspirational leaders create a sense of clarity and provide clear direction that gets employees on board. They articulate the vision and help employees envision the future state of the organization, in a way that employees understand, and can strive towards. These leaders regularly share the organization's goals and objectives and seek to ensure that all employees understand the role they play. This clarity empowers employees which in turn allows them to align their efforts, with the larger purpose and they ensure that their contributions are aligned to achieve organizational success.

“If you want to improve the organization, you have to improve yourself,?and the organization gets pulled up with you.” —Indra Nooyi

Create a Safe Space for All Employees. Inspirational leaders connect with their employees on an emotional level. They understand that sharing the vision and purpose of the organization is only the beginning and that helping employees embrace the vision is the next step. By appealing to employees’ aspirations, values, and beliefs, these leaders create an emotional connection, igniting a sense of purpose and motivation in their followers. When employees genuinely believe in the organization's vision, they become more engaged, committed, and willing to go the extra mile, resulting in higher levels of performance and productivity. These leaders excel at sharing the organizational vision and purpose by providing clarity and direction while fostering an emotional connection with their team members. This is achieved through clear and effective communication, a shared understanding of the goals, and providing employees with clear steps on how to align their efforts with the larger purpose, ultimately driving the organization toward success. Authenticity and emotional intelligence are key characteristics that inspirational leaders possess. They have a clear understanding of the importance of having a human connection with their employees. These connections are genuine and display honesty, transparency, and vulnerability. By embracing their strengths and opportunities, these leaders create an environment of trust and authenticity, enabling employees to feel safe, confident, and vulnerable. Having high emotional intelligence, enable leaders to recognize, empathize with, and respond to the emotions of their employees. This human connection builds stronger relationships and encourages employees to feel connected and go above and beyond.

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” —Jack Welch

Lead by Example. The best leaders inspire through their actions. They lead by role modeling what good looks like setting high standards for themselves and demonstrating the behaviors and values they expect from others. By consistently displaying integrity, perseverance, and a strong work ethic, leaders inspire their teams to emulate these qualities. This leads to a culture of excellence, where individuals are motivated to continuously improve, consistently exceeding expectations. Empowerment and delegation also come naturally in an inspirational culture. Inspiring leaders understand the importance of providing autonomy for their employees and allowing their employees to learn by doing. They delegate responsibilities, provide feedback as needed, and create opportunities for upward mobility and professional development. By entrusting employees with work that allows them to stretch and grow, leaders demonstrate their belief in the capabilities of their employees, ultimately cultivating a sense of pride, ownership, and accountability. This empowerment leads to improved confidence, skill development, commitment, and an overall stronger team. Communication is also a vital skill for inspiring leaders. They possess the ability to effectively share relevant details, in a timely, and in the most useful manner. They ensure that their messages are received and that they resonate with their employees. These leaders actively listen, show that they value the input employees provide and they also create an environment where ideas are shared freely and regularly. Effective communication then allows leaders to build strong connections, motivate their employees, and align everyone towards a common purpose.

The best leaders understand the significance of recognizing and appreciating their employee’s efforts. They share the organizational vision and values, foster an environment of psychological safety, acknowledge the contributions and achievements of their employees, provide praise and constructive feedback, and lead by example. By celebrating successes, leaders cultivate a positive and motivating work environment. Recognition not only boosts morale but also inspires individuals to continue performing at their best, fostering a culture of continuous growth and success. Inspirational leadership is a transformative force that motivates and encourages employees to meet and exceed their full potential. The best leaders possess a combination of vision, authenticity, empowerment, effective communication, and recognition, and they are role models. By practicing these qualities and strategies, leaders create a culture where employees feel valued, are motivated, engaged, and inspired to go beyond their expectations of themselves, and that of the organization. As leaders strive to become better at inspiring those around them, the foundational qualities necessary to develop and maintain a culture that helps employees grow must always be at the forefront of leaders’ actions. Those surrounding a leader will appreciate these qualities and it will ultimately lead to the achievement of lasting and positive change.