Inspirational leadership
Present a strong vision and articulate it passionately
In order to engage people across the organisation, leaders need to be visibly enthusiastic about, and committed to the vision agreed – but keeping this grounded in a credible, honest style. It needs to be reinforced consistently by different leaders at different times.
Communicate the vision – and examples of achievement - to all parts of organisation through anecdotes and stories
Lively stories and personal examples are a classic way of conveying organisational values or vision in an immediate and digestible form. People often benefit from examples and specifics from which to generalise, in order to help make the link between a conceptual value and everyday behaviour – and their own role in making it happen.
Be a facilitator
Effective, inspirational leaders involve other people, and provide them with support to achieve a common vision. The skills of this kind of leadership – in contrast to the traditional view of a strong individual commanding others – are in helping others to identify and seize opportunities, and encouraging the development of leadership throughout the organisation, not just at the top. Inspirational leaders are humble enough to recognise and acknowledge where ideas have come from, as part of a healthy feedback loop.
Have a strong personal presence
Supporting and involving others needs to be complemented by a confident, approachable personal presence, which people can relate to and engage with - without feeling intimidated. There are lots of small ways to put this into practice – an ‘open door’ policy, regular walks around the office, greeting people, being sincere and genuine, explaining the reasons behind decisions, demonstrating that you take an interest in people – and many more.
Take opportunities courageously
It is said that entrepreneurs see opportunities where others just see risks. Having the courage to seize opportunities is the hallmark of an inspirational leader. It is important too that others are encouraged to take managed risks – that they won’t be blamed if a potentially valuable but risky course of action goes wrong, as long as they learn from, share and build on the experience. Acknowledging the fallibility of leaders in decision-making is an important element in building trust and courage across the organisation.
Monitor and evaluate
To keep up the momentum and motivation towards achieving the organisation’s vision, inspirational leaders regularly monitor progress and report it to people with a stake in the organisation – especially its people. It is important to use targets cautiously - too many can distort focus and motivation. Above all, inspiration comes from articulating a long term perspective which individuals and teams can relate to their everyday work, and keeping people up to date on progress and improvements.
Review the process for selecting leaders
Changing demographics and career patterns mean that developing potential future leaders within the organisation is increasingly important. Developing leaders from inside the organisation can help increase motivation, save recruitment costs and avoid risky handovers – but clearly, outside candidates can bring fresh thinking and alternative experience. As a starting point, ask where the organisation currently looks for its leaders, what it expects from them, and how it expects people to develop these skills in their roles.
Deal with individual concerns and disciplinary issues promptly
The whole team will respect you if you show that you take their issues seriously, consider cases fairly and take appropriate action swiftly.
Celebrate success
Give credit where it is due, both informally to individuals and teams, and also through more formal processes such as reviews or through organisational communications such as meetings, newsletters or the intranet.
Delegate responsibility
Though not always easy at first, putting your trust in people is likely to make them more engaged in their work and committed to the success of the organisation. Your task will become easier, freeing you up to get on with the big picture questions of vision, purpose and direction.
Consider using executive coaching and mentoring
Senior figures from inside and outside the organisation can provide individual, personalised support to leaders, offer a friendly ear or a more structured series of development sessions based on their own experience of approaching leadership problems.
Encourage debate about leadership capabilities
Leadership skills aren’t a simple checklist you can impose on an organisation, but need to be defined and explored in the context of your own workplace and leaders. By discussing – as leaders, or throughout the organisation - which leadership skills are important, you can help agree priorities and expectations and come up with a definition which works for you.
Compare perceptions of leadership within the organisation
In larger organisations, it may be possible to compare the evidence from staff surveys or focus groups in different parts of the organisation, to identify patterns in good leadership, and leaders who need to sharpen their skills. Consider the range of measures needed to identify leadership effectiveness – motivation, morale, working style, energy, recognition of contributions etc – and ensure your survey includes appropriate questions.