Dictionary.com describes the word “inspire” the following ways: “to produce or arouse a feeling or thought, to fill or affect with a specified feeling, to influence”. The definition itself is enough to spark motivation within you. But, many in business are struggling with leadership because they are failing to inspire those within their organizations. Some have this idea that they shouldn’t need to inspire someone to do something when it is their job to do it. But, real leaders win because they inspire those all around them. Here are 5 reasons why you want to work to inspire everyone within your organization.
1. People become persistent when they are inspired.
If you want people that work hard to help you accomplish the goals of your business simply inspire them. When people feel passionate about what they are working towards they are naturally going to work harder. There is a big difference between employees that are showing up to do a job and those that feel like they are making a real difference by doing their job. They will pursue the established goals with a new sense of urgency.
2. You tap into the true personality of a person.
People come alive when they are inspired. They discover their gifts and talents and put them to use. There is a chance that you have the right people in your organization, but some of them might be in the wrong positions. When you work to inspire those individuals you will find out where their true passion lies. You may find that when one of your employees becomes inspired that sales come naturally to them. Or, your entire customer service department drastically improves when they are inspired by their work and shown how their jobs play a major role within the organization.
3. People are drawn in
If you are inspiring as a leader you will find that people are just naturally drawn to you. People loved to be inspired and to experience that spark of creativity that comes along with it. When you work to inspire those around you, you will never have to search for additional people for your organization. People gravitate towards the environment you are creating and will seek you out.
An article on Inc.com by Marissa Levin discusses the difference between motivation and inspiration. For years leaders have been encouraged to motivate their team, but the real winners are the ones that inspire their team. She writes, “Motivation pushes you to accomplish a task, or work through a difficult event, even when you would rather be doing anything else. We are motivated by a result. Inspiration pulls you towards something that stirs your heart, mind, or spirit…. When we are filled with inspiration, we often don’t need external motivation to move forward. The feeling of purpose and meaning is enough to propel us.”
4. Innovation comes from inspiration
Innovation is born out of inspiration. When your team is inspired they are going to be passionate about what they are working on. They will be engaged in their work each day and will be naturally excited to work towards the goals. Your employees will begin to think outside of the box in order to accomplish the tasks that they have set out to do.
5. Enjoyable culture that occurs
When you build your business by inspiring those around you, something wonderful happens. You create a culture that people want to be a part of. As you read through the points listed above it paints a picture of what winning really looks like. Leadership that inspires has followers that can’t get enough. They are encouraged to use their own strengths in innovative ways to reach their goals. The entire culture of the organization changes as people are excited to do their jobs instead of purely motivated by their paychecks.
If you want to inspire your team to reach the goals of the business include them in the process. Help them to see what the company is working towards and how important their role is to reach that goal. Encourage them to explore their personal strengths and what they have to offer. Allow them to think creatively and propose ideas. Inspire them so you all will win.
