Leadership is inspiration, plan and simple.
One of Winning Edge’s 10 leadership concepts is Leadership is inspiration, plain and simple. WE define a leader as one who can inspire others to take a journey that they would not take by themselves. People are emotional beings and effective leaders must tap into their heart and spirit to inspire their greatness.
Winning Edge has identified 3 ways to inspire another person:
- Build Trust
- Offer Hope
- Reward and Recognize.
Build Trust
Stephen Covey says that trust is the #1 human motivator, and I agree! Think about it. Can a leader that you do not trust motivate you? Of course not! So how do we build trust in our people? By connecting with them on a personal and professional level, believing in them, speaking words of life into them, accentuating the positives, listening to understand, not to reply, being with them through life’s challenges, being vulnerable, and fulfilling your commitments to them.
Offer Hope
What is hope? Hope allows us to think beyond the challenge of the moment. Without hope difficulties are defeats, and problems are our prisons. How do we offer hope to those around us? LISTEN to understand, not to reply, help others unconditionally, overcome problems with a smile and calm, provide ideas and solutions, encourage people all day long, and help each person find their purpose in life.
Reward and Recognize
Today, I am going to focus on the powerful meaning behind recognition. According to Stephen Covey, all people have psychological needs such as, a need to be understood, affirmed, validated, and appreciated. We must recognize each person as a special gift from God because they are. There is one, and only one, way to do this, and that is to spend time with our people. To a busy leader, this can seem to be an insurmountable challenge, but it is an absolute necessity. Your people will not know that you understand their inherent value as human beings until you invest your time in them.
When leaders make the intangible connection of their heart and spirit, those around them feel valued and truly a part of the organization. People that genuinely feel this way about their team will be called, inspired, and liberated to take another step.
I would love to hear about how you inspire your people to be the very best that they can be.
