One of the questions I was asked the other day is, whats my definition of an Inspiring Leader?
It is someone who is:
The questioner rattled through the list of qualities that they felt would show that someone is an inspiring leader, and at each one my answer was no!
Now whilst it’s true that to be an inspiring leader you may need some of these qualities, but just having them, doesn’t make you an inspired leader.
To me you can only class yourself as an Inspiring Leader if you have an inspired team.
That’s the true acid test, if you don’t have an inspired team then you cannot be an inspiring leader. You could be a potential inspiring leader, but without inspired people around you, then I’m afraid you haven’t made the grade.
To me this is a very simple definition, and it’s pretty easy for us to assess, I know that there are tools which can be used to assess engagement, and without engaged teams we are not inspiring anybody.
It’s inspired teams which achieve amazing results, not inspired leaders, true the leader can be the catalyst, but they don’t really do the work and certainly not the majority of it.
So if you want to be an inspiring leader your goal has to be to create an inspired team.
Inspired teams will go the extra mile, put in the extra effort, they will snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, and they will achieve astounding results.
It’s not good enough just having a great vision if you have not got an inspired team, this will probably still result in failure.
As leaders we need to create the inspiring vision but we also need to create the belief in the team, the belief that they can achieve that vision, when we do that, and we lead by example in an authentic way, then we can create inspired teams.
If we just focus on creating an inspiring vision, and not an inspired team, then we just end up with a dream. A dream that will never be realised.
I have worked with many leaders who only did half the job created a vision, and then left it to the team to inspire themselves.
When I challenged them on this, they replied my job is to set the direction, create the vision, thats what leadership is all about.
This is flawed thinking!
If you want achieve astounding results and be an inspired leader focus on building inspired teams. It might only be a small or subtle change in the way you lead but it will make all the difference.
If you want to know more about creating inspired teams, then email me at gordon@leadership-principles.com to arrange a free 30 minute strategy session.
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