When Lance Secretan, a renowned expert on inspirational leadership asks people in his audiences if they would leave their corporate job if they had a viable alternative, a whopping 80 percent raise their hand. Why would this be so? Many leaders still view their role in the old “Command and Control” style, that is they approach it with the view that there is a job to be done, and their role is to leverage the resources and people at their disposal to accomplish the task at hand, as Stephen R.M. Covey notes. But consider this: “Your manager has a greater impact on your mental health than your doctor,” a stance put forth by Dr. Casey Chosewood, the Director of the Office for Total Worker Health at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control. Thus, the way we lead ultimately affects people’s interest and willingness to perform, their health, their marriage and relationship with their children, and the overall quality of their lives.
What is inspirational leadership?
Inspirational leadership rests on the imperative to steward a caring and loving culture and lead individuals to their potential in service of the mission, not the behavior or skills they exhibit today. Covey contends the new way to lead is to trust and inspire to unleash their talent and potential and while empowering and inspiring them. Inspirational leadership is about then “connecting people to purpose so they feel inspired not only by an organization’s leaders, but also by a sense of purpose, meaning, and contribution in their work,” he says. For people to reach their highest potential, leaders must see and treat them as whole individuals with body, heart, mind, and spirit. Doing so means inspirational leaders “recognize and address physical/economic needs (body), emotional/social needs (heart), mental/intellectual needs (mind), and spiritual/meaning needs (spirit),” Covey says.
What emerges in a team led by an inspirational leader is a dynamic collaboration and creative innovation as people enjoy autonomy, put forth their best effort, and contribute their best thinking and creativity. Inspirational leaders invigorate people to work passionately alongside them to achieve results while enabling and encouraging people to reach toward their full potential. The excitement is palpable and can be witnessed in seeing the enthusiasm in people’s “shiny eyes,” as Ben Zander, the Musical Director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and co-author of The Art of Possibility: Transforming Personal and Professional Life, is known for espousing.
The value of inspiration and its translation to business performance
Organizations stewarded by inspirational leaders position themselves to become “destination workplaces” that magnetize top talent, as people are drawn to environments and cultures where they are inspired by a sense of purpose and meaning, they know they matter and their contributions are recognized, and are trusted and free to deliver the work with autonomy.
Because inspirational leaders are focused on seeing people for their unique contributions and helping them to connect their work to the purpose of the organization, engagement and performance measures are high. When team members genuinely feel their leader “sees them” and have real interest in them, their growth, and success, that’s inspiring to them. So, inspirational leaders are good at connecting with their people while communicating to them how they and their contributions matter.
When it comes to performance, is there a level beyond fully engaged? Covey and I both agree, it’s being inspired. A study from the consulting firm Bain & Company indicated four levels of engagement within companies: dissatisfied, satisfied, engaged, and inspired. Basing a productivity index for the satisfied employee at 100, the study gauged the engaged index at 144, and the inspired employee index at a whopping 225! In other words, it takes two and a quarter satisfied employees to make up for the productivity of one inspired team member.
Beyond dramatically elevating productivity, inspiration elevates employee well-being, as inspiration feeds the whole person, not just the part of the person who works at the office or on the job. When people are inspired, they’re more energized and can produce greater results. Inspired team members are more likely to go the extra mile to take care of customers. That same inspired team member then carries the positive sentiments they experience home with them, which means families also enjoy the benefits of inspiration at work. Instead of frustration or burnout, employees are more likely to feel a sense of contentment and fulfillment in their work and talk to their family members and friends positively about work, raising the net promoter scores (eNPS) as an indication of their employee experience.
How do you become an inspirational leader?
Does being an inspirational leader mean you must be wildly charismatic? No, it does not. To create inspiring relationships and environments, you must first become inspired yourself, as Lance Secretan reminds, as you cannot give what you do not have within you. Secretan’s formula is simple, wildly enticing, and legacy enabling: “To live the inspired and inspiring life, we pass through these three progressions: we become inspired: the spark; We live an inspiring life that inspires others: the flame; And we share with others the opportunity to do the same: the torch.”
Without our own spark, Secretan says, “we are ordinary and dull, and we aim below our promise. This dullness is the absence of passion and energy, of dreams and magic in our lives, of relationships that inspire, and of bearings and paths that lead to meaning and fulfillment, excitement, and zest.” I refer to people missing the spark as “the walking dead” – the lights are on, but no one is home in their soul.
Lighting your own spark and becoming inspired requires you to access your own passion and plug into what lights you up. We are most inspired when we serve in ways that align with our values and know our contribution matters and when we experience meaning, fulfillment and joy. When we do, this feeling shines brightly in us and naturally attracts and raises the energy of others and brightens the environment. To be inspirational is to be magnetic: people cannot resist someone who is turned on by their own life.
When we embrace the fundamental beliefs and accordant practices Covey recommends, we grow our capacity to be inspirational leaders. Those beliefs and accordant behaviors are:
- People have greatness inside them… so my job as a leader is to unleash their potential, not control them.
- People are whole people … so my job as a leader is to inspire, not merely motivate.
- There is enough for everyone … so my job as a leader is to elevate caring above competing.
- Leadership is stewardship … so my job as a leader is to put service above self-interest.
- Enduring influence is created from the inside out … so my job as a leader is to go first (81).
Creating “destination workplaces” led by inspirational leaders is not just good for business and the bottom line, it’s good for the planet. Inspired people go the extra mile in how they live and work, they contribute more dynamically, and their elevated emotions make them naturally want to help others. As you chart the journey of becoming and enhancing your inspirational leadership, your own fulfillment is elevated, you are affirmed that your contribution changes lives, and you build a meaningful and memorable legacy. How many pairs of “shiny eyes” do you stand to elicit in your lifetime of leading?
Works Cited and Resources
