Written by Andy Wadham Managing Director of DNA Leadership and a John Adair Accredited Trainer who acts as DNA Leadership’s lead facilitator, coach and leadership trainer. Andy works closely with top management as a consultant and executive coach on change management and leadership issues.

“Who would be on your leadership list?”

Try this out… Make a list of the 5 leaders you ‘admire’ the most. They can be from business, sport, politics, history, in fact, any background.

Now ask yourself why you ‘admire’ them. The chances are high that your admiration is based on more than just their accomplishments; impressive as those may be. Now I know everyone’s list will be different. But, I’ll bet that all the names on your leadership list reaches you on an emotional level and that you connect with that ‘something’ in those people.

This ability to reach people emotionally in a way that goes beyond the intellectual and rational is the mark of an inspirational leader. They all have ‘it’. They all inspire us in some way. It’s a simple as that. And when we’re inspired we tap into our best selves and deliver amazing work.

So can this ability to inspire people be learned? For those who fall somewhat short of being a natural born superstar with the ‘X-Factor’, good leadership skills can be learned, acquired, honed and perfected.

Just some thoughts about becoming an inspirational leader…

Emotional intelligence – Great leaders truly understand people. They have the ability to read people’s (sometimes unconscious, often unstated) emotions, needs and motivators. This allows them to speak to these needs and, when at all possible, fulfil them. When people feel they are understood, it is something they respond to positively and a bond is formed.

Continuous development – Show me a ‘know-it-all’ and I’ll show you someone who doesn’t have a clue about being a leader. Curiosity, self-development and an insatiable desire to always do better is the mark of a great leader. They are rarely satisfied with the status quo, and welcome new knowledge, ideas and fresh (even if challenging) input. It’s all about investing in growing your skills as a leader.

Appropriate actions – Great leaders respond to each challenge with a fresh eye. They know that what worked in one situation may not work in another. Before you act, make sure you understand the specifics of the task at hand and tailor your actions accordingly for the best results.

Let Go – A lot of people think leadership is about position or title – “I am the boss and I tell people what to do and how to do it”. In fact, great leaders inspire, listen to people’s ideas, make decisions and then get out of the way. They know that talented people don’t need or want their manager hovering on their shoulders. Leadership is about influence, guidance, and support, not telling. Look for ways to do your job and then get out of the way, so that people can do theirs and know that they have the freedom to do what they are good at.

Honesty – Now this is a big one for me personally.  Not a week goes by that we don’t hear about some ‘so-called’ leader losing credibility because he or she was dishonest – it’s in the news on a weekly, often daily, basis. We live in an age of transparency, which is reason enough to always be true to your core! – your intentions will always be revealed, your motivations will show in your behaviours. But it goes way beyond this. If you have a reputation for honesty and integrity, it will be a lot easier to deliver bad news and face tough challenges.
 
Genuine respect – Ignorance and arrogance are leadership killers! They’re also a mark of insecurity. Treating everyone with a basic level respect is an absolute must behaviour of good leadership. Of course, there will be people who prove to be difficult and they must be dealt with by having the courage to challenge those inappropriate actions or behaviours.

Teamwork – The more an organisation or team can make people feel they are a ‘partner’ in it, the more they will deliver some amazing results. This means, to the greatest extent possible, communicating your organisation’s strategies and challenges and that those goals really mean something to people and that they are valued in your team. This builds buy-in, and again, is a mark of respect. People won’t be blindsided and become demotivated (which is a workplace team culture killer) by setbacks if they’re keep up to speed about were ‘we’ are going.

Be human. Be an example. Be a leader. These things really do matter to people…

Who are the names on your list? More importantly, is your name on someone else’s leadership list?