Three Steps to Inspirational Leadership

Leadership requires inspiration.  There is no leadership if the people are not inspired, even if that inspiration is borne of fear.  To inspire means to influence.  Our ability to influence is one of the foundational skills of leadership.  Too many people believe that our ability to inspire is tied to our status in society, our intellect, even our bank account.  It helps to have money, it helps to be connected, but it is not a requisite to be inspiring and influential.  This is tied to charisma, and charisma is a learnable skill. 

Dale Harbison Carnegie said, “The only way on earth to influence other people is to talk about what they want and show them how to get it.”  Essentially, people are inherently selfish, and they are interested in what they gain first.  We always shape our conversation with that is in it for them.  There are a few foundational steps we need to implement to become that inspirational leader, and build influence. 

Influence is never periodic.  It is based on building trust and consistency in values and actions.  People trust certainties.  People who are uncertain, people who are erratic, people who are temperamental, are not trusted.  People must feel that we have their genuine interests at heart, and are invested in their success.  Only then, would they be inclined to listen to us, and be directed to a specific direction. 

The second part of gaining influence is to master the art of effective communication.  This is distinct from rhetoric, which is mastery of speaking.  Part of effective communication is learning to listen and understand the underlying message, and not just the apparent meaning of the words, looking for cues in the inflections, pauses, and tonal changes.  This is how we understand people, and this is how we connect with them.  Part of this is asking questions to develop a deeper understanding.  This is asking the right questions to develop a deeper, more sincere understanding of people, and their perspectives.  It is difficult to motivate people when we do not have a gauge of their values and motivation. 

The third part of gaining influence to inspire to be generous with knowledge and to be giving.  We share our experiences, our life lessons, and our resources.  Receiving anything means giving, investing in the right people so that we can reap a return.  People follow when they can gain something, and benefit from that experience of being a follower.  They are investing their time to gain some form of advantage.  This means constructive criticism, mentoring, and coaching, depending.  Leadership is through example, not just words. 

Finally, to inspire people is to give them a reason to believe, to paint them a picture of what we can all achieve together, and make them understand that we are all part of something greater together.  This means having a clear plan, managed expectations, and regular updates.  People follow when they believe a leader is credible, and there is a direction.  Everybody wants to part of progress.  Everybody wants a challenge, and the taste of success.  Leadership is about bringing them there, especially through difficult phases.  Inspirational leadership is about painting a picture of where we want to go.