Are You an Inspirational Leader?

The following blog post has been contributed by Patrick Sweeney, President, Caliper.

Leadership is constantly evolving, whether it’s how to strategically lead a business into the future or how to innovate in a digital world that is changing by the second. But there is one facet of leadership that remains the same—the importance of being inspirational.

Employees are what drive a company forward, and if they aren’t inspired or they don’t feel motivated by their leadership, both leaders and their companies will ultimately miss the mark.

An inspirational leader starts by listening, then engaging, and then developing their people.

Listen

Listening is the key to truly connecting with employees. And from listening, trust develops. Leaders have to take a moment to step outside their own roles and understand what it is that motivates their top performers, what ideas they can share, and how effectively they function with their teams. Top performers provide key information about the rest of the organization.

Successful leaders are able to call on their most valuable employees in middle management, for example, to help them get clarity on the big picture. They are the ones who can walk alongside leaders and help them understand the inner workings of the rest of the organization. So without them, many leaders would be lost—as it is nearly impossible for leaders to spend time with every individual in the company.

Engage

A study conducted by Society for Human Resource Management indicates that employees are 87 percent less likely to leave a company than those who are disengaged. In addition, further studies show that only 26 percent of leaders today are creating an engaging environment for their people. Employee engagement begins with leaders showing they value their people and they are willing to spend time and resources on helping them capitalize on their strengths.