What’s the most critical skill of a leader? The ability to inspire perhaps, to motivate or to achieve new heights that previously seemed impossible. Martin Luther King, Jr. Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Jack Ma, Howard Schultz, Richard Branson, etc. They “got” it. They all have the gift to get people to believe in something they never dreamed possible for themselves.
Very few people look forward to going to work according to Carmine Gallo, let face it; many people prefer to hit the snooze button instead of crawling off their bed in the morning. And no amount of free coffee and fruit in the company kitchen isn’t going to change that. How is it possible that unhappy, unmotivated and disengaged employees could offer exceptional customer service or develop exciting, innovative products that move your brand forward? They can’t. That’s why it is up to you as the leader to inspire your team, when employees are excited to come to work each day, workplace productivity significantly increases. Some of the world's best companies; Google, Zappos, LinkedIn, and even Wegmans Food Markets people love to come to work. They show up every day, do their best, have fun, and when they go home at night, they look forward to coming back to work the next day. Everyone should have that desire. Very few people are born with the type of charismatic leadership skills that drive those around them to dig deep and achieve their very best. Carmine Gallo however in his article on Forbes, identified 7 qualities of Inspiring Leaders. The list was compiled with the help of dozens of the world’s most inspiring business leaders for a book Carmine wrote in 2009.
I will look at 4 of these traits, but you can visit www.forbes.com to explore the remaining three. Let's look at the four qualities. Ignite Your Enthusiasm.
I once asked the famous financial guru, Suze Orman, for the secret behind her success. You cannot inspire, she said, unless you’re inspired yourself. She’s speaking about passion. Every inspiring leader is abundantly passionate—not about the product itself, but what the product means to their customers. Steve Jobs is not passionate about computers. He’s passionate about building tools that help people to unleash their personal creativity. Big difference. Navigate a course of action.
Nothing extraordinary ever happened without a leader articulating a vision, a course of action. We’ve seen this throughout history (think John F. Kennedy challenging a nation to land a man on the moon), and it works for building brands as well. When I interviewed Teach for America founder, Wendy Kopp, she said that her ‘vision’ as a college student was to “eliminate educational inequities.” That vision remains as firmly in place today as it did when she started the non-profit that trains college graduates to teach in schools across America. Bold visions create excitement and inspire evangelists. Paint a picture.
Our brains are programmed more for stories than for abstract ideas. Stories can include the real stories of how your products are improving the lives of your customers.
Stories can also include personal anecdotes, helping to establish a closer connection between leaders and teams. Recently I spent time with a top executive of a huge, global energy company. He had very personal, touching stories of what the company and its safety record meant to him. I urged him to begin telling the stories in his public presentations, especially with employees.
After one talk an employee approached this leader and said he felt more inspired than ever. Stories make connections. Tell more of them. Encourage potential.
When I was on a tour of Zappos’ headquarters in Henderson, Nevada, I met the Zappos, Goal Coach.
“What kind of goals do you help people achieve?” I asked. “Almost anything,” he said. “The other day I worked with a young man who wanted to learn how to play guitar and a woman who wanted to start writing the book she had always dreamed of.” “What does that have to do with Zappos?” I asked. “It has everything to do with Zappos,” he responded.
Zappos has achieved a reputation for superior customer service because it doesn’t see employees as cogs in a wheel. Employees know that Zappos’ leaders genuinely care about their well-being. It’s also one of the “happiest” places to work.
Everyone should and can enjoy their work. However, the leadership of the company must inspire themselves first and create an environment that allows people to enjoy their work. As an inspirational leader, you can effectively engage your employees and develop their strengths for more successful business results.
If you are genuinely interested, honest and sincere in what you do, you will become a more inspirational leader who can foster healthy and meaningful relationships to improve the company bottom-line and in the process, develop the next generation of inspirational leaders. Never underestimate the power of an inspirational Leader.