Leaders, do you inspire your team to excel?
As leaders, we all know that the success of the business depends on the performance of our teams. Are you doing all you can to help your team to perform at their best?
The concepts of motivational and transformational leadership are not new. Respected literature in this field goes back to the 1970’s. 40 years on, it is still relevant. Research demonstrates that both the individual and the business benefit from inspiring leadership (1). These benefits include:
– increased commitment to the organisation
– more supportive of change
– motivating both the team member and the leader to achieve more.
Interestingly, individuals see being more committed to the organisation as a personal success.
Not only does inspiring leadership add value, it can also be achieved at little cost.
I remember joining the Executive of a large not for profit organisation. The team members were a great group of people and already working well. From the outset, my aim was to inspire them. To help them be their best. And to help them to connect to the company’s purpose. Service delivery teams get to live out the company’s purpose. But it can be harder for teams to make the connection on a daily basis.
Early on I met with the team managers. I talked to them about what motivated me to work for the company and the importance of what the company does. How the company makes a difference to the lives of the people we serve. And how important their role is to that success.
I then told them a story, one I hadn’t shared with anyone before. I explained that every year I tried to achieve savings that at least covered the cost of my salary. By making it as a goal, I had always achieved this and often more. I suggested that we play a game: to see who could identify and deliver the most savings for the year.
This game took off in a way I didn’t expect. The managers found it so inspiring that they extended the game to their team members. In no time, individuals were presenting the savings they found. If their idea made sense they were given the authority to make it happen. Over the course of the year, they identified and delivered over $400,000 of savings. Most of the savings came from people who had no budget responsibility.
This was a significant achievement, particularly in a not for profit organisation.
The game fostered a sense of achievement. It tapped into the team’s discretionary effort. We delivered savings in places I wouldn’t have even known to look. At the annual team “away-day” we celebrated the success. The look of achievement on the faces of the two winners was priceless.
Their prize? Chocolates, Champagne, recognition and self-satisfaction.
My prize? Seeing my team really take on and share the challenge. Plus $400,000 extra go to into client services. A strong sense of commitment to and pride in my team. The biggest prize for me was understanding the impact of a little inspiration.
So how do you know if you are inspiring enough to impact your team’s performance? You could start by considering these four statements. Assess yourself on a scale of 1-10 where 1 is “needs significant improvement” and 10 is “couldn’t do better”.
1. Every day I deliberately try to inspire my team
2. My team regularly come up with ideas that they are willing to action
3. My team really understands the importance of their role to the vision of the business
4. My team is engaged and willing to go the extra mile
If you score straight 10’s then congratulations.
If not, then you can strengthen your approach in just minutes a day. Plan to inspire your team every day. Set a daily reminder until it becomes a habit. Ask yourself: what is the best thing I can do today to inspire my team? Then make time to do it.
Here are three simple practices you could build into your daily routines.
1. Encourage someone every day. Tailor your approach to that person’s style. Some people prefer public praise. Others perfer a quiet word. Everyone likes to be acknowledged for what they do and how they do it.
2. Be prepared to admit your mistakes to your team. None of us are perfect. The team will often already know what you did. So be authentic and own up.
3. Ensure you delegate effectively. This requires you to balance authority with accountability and self-direction with clarity of outcomes. That way you set them up for success.
1. Transformational Leadership and Employee’s Commitment Empirical Review, Gathunga E, Iravo M and Namusonge 2015 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280559528_Transformational_Leadership_and_Employee’s_Commitment_Empirical_Review
Claire Davis supports leaders to increase their impact and influence.
Claire has over 20 years’ experience leading teams and as a Board Member. She has been coaching Executives and Senior Leaders since 2006.
To find out more about Claire Davis and Stretch Leaders…
