6 Ways To Be A Leader Who Inspires

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

This definition of a ‘true’ leader by John Quincy Adams is all you need to remember while leading people. But not everyone has the ability to inspire others. It is not easy to ignite actions by changing the mindset of others. It takes courage, commitment, integrity, honesty, and much more to be a leader who inspires.

The following ways will help you be a leader who can easily motivate others and stir their souls into actions.

Stay committed to your vision

There could be nothing more inspiring than working with someone who knows what is needed to achieve the company’s goals and has the right plans to achieve them. Fostering a culture of commitment in the organization starts with leaders first. Those who are committed to achieving their visions without diverting their attention on the obstacles that may come in the way of their goals, inspire everyone. When people work with such leaders, they feel motivated to give their best too.

Be open to communication

Dreaming of bringing a change in the organization is one thing, communicating about this dream is another. You need to tell people what they are expected to do and what all are they capable of achieving. Dream a collective vision – one that involves all, talks of all, and works for all. Be available for discussion when people need you. You might be busy at times, but don’t be insensitive to their needs. Communicate well. Communicate often. And, most importantly, communicate honestly.

Encourage participative management

While giving and receiving feedback is important, what’s even more important is to encourage participative management in the organization. Make your team feel connected to you. Let people have a say in the decisions that are related to them. You will not be able to follow everybody’s advice, but at least being receptive to their thoughts will make them feel valued. They will be motivated to think of better ideas and will, eventually, come up with better plans for the company’s ultimate success.

Trust people and show them that you do

You may be good at many things, but so are others. If you can do a great job all by yourself, then it doesn’t really mean that others can’t do better than that. Learn to trust others and demonstrate this trust by delegating important work to them. Sharing responsible tasks is a great way of appreciation, and employees are always looking for appreciation at work. Make them feel important and they will be ready to achieve bigger things. 

Be a person of integrity

Remember that when you are a leader, you are under constant scrutiny. There are people who look up to you. Show how important integrity is to you and lead by example. Just like you should be open to trusting others, make yourself a righteous person – someone who can be trusted too. Don’t indulge in small talks, aggressive behavior, emotional outbursts, and anything else that can show you in a bad light. To quote Zig Ziglar: “With integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity, you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt.” So, don’t just preach integrity but practice it too, and you will inspire others for sure.

Don’t be afraid of taking challenges

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Anyone can be a leader inside their comfort zone, but in order to be an inspiring leader, you have to be someone who is not afraid of taking up challenges and overcoming them. Rather than succumbing to tough situations, think of possible solutions with a calm mind and put them to work. That moment of moving beyond challenges and emerging as a winner will be truly amazing. Live it. And inspire others to live it too.

Remember that great leaders inspire greatness in others. An organization’s growth depends on the growth of its people. When leaders inspire people to grow, they inspire the company to grow and achieve success in all that is done. So, lead to make a difference. Lead to inspire and to dream more.