Part of my role as a keynote speaker is to inspire my audiences to reach new heights and tap deeper into their potential. There are many things a leader can do to inspire their teams to reach new heights.
Photo by Justin W. Moore (outdoorphoto.com)
Here are 7 strategies that will help you inspire those around you:
1. Play to their strengths.
Too often managers and leaders focus on what’s wrong with team members instead of expanding on the team's strengths and playing to those strengths. Set your team up to win around where team members are strongest.
2. Listen and implement their ideas.
It is difficult to implement every idea but if you don’t implement any you will be sure not to receive any in the future. Make it a point to listen and create space for team member's contributions for the better of the organization and your clients.
3. Encourage effort over results.
If you only focus on results, team members may only put forth effort on sure things. You want your team to always put forth the effort because their effort can make a sure thing out of something that was originally not a sure thing.
“Encouragement enhances courage.”
4. Allow time for play and fun.
All work and no play is demotivating. Encourage your team to have fun with their projects; work does not have to be drudgery!
5. Understand their values and interests.
Understanding your team's values and interests allows for deeper relationships. Deeper relationships lead to better results.
“Deeper relationships lead to better results.”
6. Treat them as individuals.
One size does not fit all. Everyone is not motivated alike. Use what you learn about their values and interests to help treat them uniquely.
7. Give ownership.
Trust your team to do the right thing; ownership is much more than accountability. By giving your team ownership, you are allowing them to control goals and the achievement of those goals versus dictating what should be done and how it should be done.
How do you inspire your team?