Are your LEADERS a source of INSPIRATION or DESPERATION?

I have encountered many managers who whine about their employees being frequently tardy or absent from work. They talk about how these individuals are so “lazy” and “uncommitted.” And that they have NO FUTURE in the company. Yet with all these, they still KEEP them.

Have you met a manager (or supervisor) like that? Sadly, there’s plenty of them out there. What is worse is that they do nothing about it other than complain. They gloat about their kindness and concern for the employee as the reason for NOT doing anything about it. And they are doing everybody - the company, the employee, the team and themselves - a disservice by not acting on the problem.

I heard a long time ago that the FIRST JOB of a leader* is TO DEFINE REALITY. Now, I believe the SECOND is to DEFINE THE DESTINATION. And the rest of the job of a leader circles around ENABLING AND INSPIRING PEOPLE to get from REALITY to the DESTINATION.

The FIRST JOB of a leader is TO DEFINE REALITY. The SECOND is to DEFINE THE DESTINATION. And the rest of the job of a leader circles around ENABLING AND INSPIRING PEOPLE to get from REALITY to the DESTINATION.

* Special Note: When I mention ‘leader’ here I don’t refer to individuals in the organizations to whom authority to command, rule or manage other people is given. It does not refer to someone in the hierarchy where other people officially report to by structure.  It can be ANYONE in the organization.

The first job requires keen observation, analytical thinking and insight. The second job requires a leader to have a VISION. Both jobs require the leader to articulately communicate both.

Many leaders can pass the test for the 1st and the 2nd jobs. Yet a great many still fail.

Very few however, can handle the third job. Very few yet are up to the task.

But the third job is where the rubber meets the road. That is why it is the most demanding, most grueling, most challenging part of the job of being a leader.

And unless you or your leaders understand, embrace and celebrate that you can never get the best out of your employees.

ENABLING AND INSPIRING PEOPLE (to get from REALITY to DESTINATION):

To get employees to move from REALITY to DESTINATION there are two (2) essential tasks that a leader must undertake: (1) ENABLE and (2) INSPIRE.

(1)   ENABLING has several components:

1. Understand the requirements of the job (that will enable the employee to get from REALITY to DESTINATION);
2. Assess the ability of the employee (or candidate) to meet the requirements of the job;
3. Equip, tool, re-tool, or upgrade the employee’s capabilities;
4. Support the learning by providing opportunities, systems, tools, and environment to apply what was learned in step 3. (In fact steps 3 and 4 may integrate seamlessly.)
5. Provide coaching and/or mentoring to ensure that learning is appropriate and adequate.

  Does that look like a tough job? You bet. And a lot of managers and supervisors shirk this responsibility. Many who try fail miserably.

Forgive me but something even darker is in the horizons. Something even more difficult is required.

(2)   INSPIRING is a bit more complex and discombobulating. If enabling appears to have an algorithm, inspiring doesn’t seem to have one. At least not one that I know of.

We can however, probably approximate the requirements to inspire people. But first, let’s try and define what it means to “INSPIRE.”

The word INSPIRE originated from the Latin 'inspirare' which translates to English as “to breath into.” It means that a person who inspires does not force anything into anyone. Yet, that person is able to cause the person to act on something. To inspire someone means to make that person MOVE from within - not because of any EXTRINSIC force but one that is INTRINSIC. And we know throughout history that people who were driven to do something because of outside force have failed while those who do things because of internal conviction have succeeded.

Now, to say that a leader's INSPIRATION is powerful is to underestimate its full potential.

...to say that a leader's INSPIRATION is powerful is to underestimate its full potential.

Inspiration is what drives people to become accountable, assertive, creative, effective, filled with initiative, thankful, focused on what needs to be done. Lack or absence of INSPIRATION causes people to be lazy, apathetic, unimaginative, lack initiative, blame, whine and complain, to focus on the hindrances instead of finding solutions.

Inspiration is what drives people to become accountable, assertive, creative, effective, filled with initiative, thankful, focused on what needs to be done. Lack or absence of INSPIRATION causes people to be lazy, apathetic, unimaginative, lack initiative, blame, whine and complain, to focus on the hindrances instead of finding solutions.

So, what does it practically mean to INSPIRE your team? How does it look like in a team? What should you DO?

That’s what our next article will look into.

If you want to know more about how to develop your leaders in a practical, realistic and long-lasting way, contact us at elar elef. Let's talk.

Thank you and till our next issue!