7 Powerful Characteristics Of A Truly Inspirational Leader
The ability to inspire is one of the single most important leadership skills that separates great leaders from average ones. While there are plenty of admirable bosses, there are only a handful of leaders who are able to infuse energy, passion and connection into their actions and behaviors. Coupled with a clear vision, mission and commitment to integrity that guides them in everything they do to make the world a better place.
Oprah, Michelle Obama and Michael Jordan are some famously known altruistic role models who continue to inspire people around the globe. Dr. Alyn Waller, pastor of Enon Tabernacle Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, shared “when you’re an inspirational leader, you're able to tell people and explain to them what it is that you are doing and where you are going, and it makes them want to go with you.”
Data gathered by Harvard Business School from nearly 50,000 leaders learned “the ability to inspire creates the highest levels of employee engagement and commitment.” Further research conducted by Bain found “inspired employees are twice as productive as satisfied employees.” As a result, companies experience 21% greater profitability, a 41% reduction in absenteeism and 59% less turnover.
Here are seven powerful characteristics that create truly inspirational leaders.
Commitment To Values
Inspirational leaders are value-driven leading from a deep sense of purpose and responsibility to create positive change. They have a clear understanding of what their values are and don’t cave under pressure in situations where they’d need to sacrifice their values to achieve a result. This might not always make them popular and despite the hatred they receive, inspirational leaders recognize being ethical isn’t always easy, but it’s right.
Regardless of what the popular opinion is, inspirational leaders stand up for what’s right and advocate against injustice. They act with integrity because they know employees are always watching and every action matters. For this reason, they stay true to their values and embed them in everything they do. Dr. Waller added “an inspirational leader embodies the principles of the very thing that they’re trying to lead.”
Invested In Personal Development
In order to continue growing, leaders understand the importance of investing in their development. Liz Brown, founder of Sleeping Lucid, asserted “inspirational leaders have a strong sense of self and are aware of their limits.” For this reason, they acknowledge their weaknesses and are always seeking feedback to hone their skills. They know they’re not the smartest person in the room and they welcome that because it keeps them striving to improve. As such, they view every opportunity, positive or negative, as one from which they can learn.
Radiate Authenticity
Leaders are able to connect with others because they are open about sharing their struggles, stories and journey of what it took for them to get to where they are today. They recognize their differences is what makes them unique. Authenticity inspires authenticity. Who they are at work is who they are at home, in the community and out with their friends. They don’t wear different masks and treat everyone with respect and dignity.
Ethan Taub, CEO of Goalry and Loanry said “being a leader means having the strength to be different and proud. Being who you are in a world where there is only one box takes courage, but people need that, especially in this day and age. Being able to help everyone understand the world and their place is something only few do, but many possess.”
Skillful Communicators
Not all communication is verbal and comes in many forms. For example, active listening, ignoring distractions and making eye contact shows others they’re valued. Body language alone communicates and strengthens trust and honesty. Patti Wood, MA, body language and communication expert, shared inspirational leaders are great at matching and mirroring the nonverbal cues and emotion of the room so others feel valued and understood.
When it comes to having difficult conversations, they know how to effectively communicate negative feedback in a way that doesn’t make the employee disengage. When someone on their team doesn’t meet their goals, they take the time to sit down and get to the root cause. From there, they work with the employee to figure out how they can better support the employee and give them the tools needed to be successful.
Encourage Unity
Collaboration is an essential ingredient to an engaged and thriving team. Inspirational leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of their team. This allows them to find ways to encourage unity through peer-to-peer mentorship, team projects or cross training. Unity is crucial to achieving success otherwise, teams become siloed. Liz Armbruester, senior vice president of global compliance at Avalara, expressed “nothing is more destructive for a team than a leader who is unwilling to collaborate.”
Inspirational leaders are committed and motivated by the success of their team. Disruption and innovation is the result of fostering an environment where individuals can come together to share their experiences, knowledge, opinion and ideas. Embracing collaboration helps individuals learn from one another while pushing them outside their comfort zone to achieve great things. In turn, employees gain more confidence in their abilities and want to take on more.
Approachable And Inclusive
Instead of leading with emotions or fear-based tactics to drive results, they focus on cultivating an environment that makes their employees feel comfortable coming and talking to them. Approachable and inclusive leaders listen more than they speak, value diversity, welcome mistakes, reward originality and appreciate the unique differences of others. Varying levels of working styles and personalities can create conflict and a disconnected team. Inspirational leaders know how vital it is to ensure each individual is treated fairly and respectfully, feels a sense of belonging and is psychologically safe. Therefore, creating a strong and inclusive team culture.
Creating an inclusive culture focuses on the team as a collective instead of taking the credit of others. Anton Smith, director, outreach and engagement, shared his boss Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, president and CEO of Do Good Work Consulting, “is very inclusive and we never hear him say “I, me, mine” because he’s always using “us, we, our.” Smith added, “that motivates us to do our best because we know we’re included and part of the company.”
Embrace Vulnerability And Risk
Taking risks is an essential part of leadership. Rosa Parks, Henry Ford and Elon Musk are a few leaders who have made a difference in this world by taking a courageous risk without the guarantee of it being successful. As Thomas Jefferson once famously said, “with great risk comes great reward.” Even if things don’t go as planned, inspirational leaders use the lessons of their rejections and failures to pivot their strategy and teach others what they’ve learned. Likewise, they’re not afraid to take ownership for their mistakes reminding employees they’re human. Their optimism and passion to achieve their vision demonstrates that there’s always a solution even if it requires some set backs and new plans.