Leadership has always fascinated me. I worked for managers with exceptional leadership qualities who inspired me to become the best leader I can be. I also worked for managers who made me realise what kind of leader I never want to be.
Inspirational leadership involves much more than only leading and inspiring your team to work towards achieving a bigger vision or goal for the business. It is not only about the talk. It is about the example you set, the way you operate, how you walk the talk. The team sees what you do and how you behave, and they will follow.
Our team sees my partner and I going for our morning run and being in the gym every day … and they follow. They see us living a healthy lifestyle … and they follow. They see us striving for excellence in everything we do … and they follow. At PhysEQFiT, our team starts their day with an exercise routine − and they absolutely love it! Be it the chef, the room manager, the accountant, the marketing assistant, or the therapist, they all keep each other motivated and accountable. When they start their working day afterwards, their energy levels, positivity and strive for excellence are at the highest level. This is a win-win situation for both our team and our businesses.
The same applies to how you behave and operate. If you are always late, you cannot expect others to deliver on time. If you don’t treat people with respect, you cannot expect them to treat your clients with respect. If you are mediocre, you cannot expect them to be exceptional performers.
Inspirational leadership furthermore involves creating a healthy and happy environment for employees − a place where they feel they belong, where they feel part of the bigger vision; a workplace where they are looking forward to coming to. Get to know them personally – what are their aspirations, what do they like and dislike about their job, what would they like to be exposed to? Then create opportunities for them to grow and develop. Inspire and motivate them to become the best version of themselves.
Never underestimate the impact that creating a healthy and happy environment where your staff can flourish will have on your business’ performance. Never underestimate how the example you set will impact your team and their performance.
Becoming an inspirational leader is not a skill or a qualification that you can obtain. Inspirational leadership is a lifestyle.
In brief
Inspirational leadership … certainly a skill that many strive for. For some it comes naturally, some can grow into it, and others will never be seen as inspirational leaders.
What exactly is inspirational leadership, though? It is defined as the ability to be a positive influence on those around you and motivate others toward success. Some qualities of an inspirational leader are: an exceptional leader on steroids; a leader that exceeds expectations; a leader that goes the extra mile; and a leader who truly cares about people.
Author
RONEL JOOSTE CA(SA)
Director at FinanciallyFiTLife and author, speaker and radio talk show host
