“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”~John Q. Adams
Whenever we start with a new Executive Coaching client, two of the first questions we ask them are “What does leadership mean to you?” and “What kind of leader do you want to be?” The answers are as varied as our clients.
They’re varied, and yet there is often a theme. A theme that John Quincy Adams captures. That theme is inspiration.
“I want to be a leader who can help my team to grow,” our clients say. “I want to lead so that my team feels motivated and challenged.” “I want to lead a team that does more, takes more accountability, and solves more problems.”
As leaders we want a lot from our teams, and in order to get that, we have to give a lot as well.
If we want our team to feel inspired, we have to inspire them. If we want them to feel challenged, we have to challenge them. If we want them to take risks and solve problems and conquer obstacles, then we have to model that behavior. And reward it. We have to give them the freedom to move forward and the trust that they won’t be punished if something goes awry.
In other words, it’s our actions that beget their actions. We are truly leaders when what we do inspires those around us to be, do, and achieve more.
At Chatsworth Consulting Group, we speak and write a great deal about Thoughtful Leadership. An important part of Thoughtful Leadership is staying conscious and aware of your own actions, and the impact those actions have on others. “Is what I’m doing now helpful or hurtful?” we counsel clients to ask themselves. “Is this step going to encourage others to step up more, or to pull back?” Part of being an effective leader is holding up all you do against these tough criteria – “Am I inspiring others to dream more, do more, learn more, and become more? And if not, how can I?”
How do you inspire others to dream more, do more, learn more, and become more?
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If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
For inspiration on inspiring others, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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