1. They are emotionally intelligent
Inspiring leaders are masters of
self-awareness. They control their emotions and are judiciously
and empathetically apt at handling interpersonal relationships. They moralise compassion, empathy, cooperation, and mutual understanding. Inspiring leaders
also hold a confident yet realistic assessment of their and others’ capabilities while maintaining a flexible and optimistic course of action.
According to Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, compassion and empathy are the
pillars of life. Inspired by Dalai Lama’s philosophy, Weiner embraces a warm and understanding atmosphere in everyday business. Despite his
exceedingly tight schedule, he devotes 90 minutes of his daily time to coaching and conversing with his co-workers. He notes that this approach improves
creativity and productivity, allowing him to manage his 14,000 employees better.
2. They possess optimal communication skills
Inspiring leaders are great listeners. They
pay attention to others’ comments, ideas, and feelings and offer constructive
feedback. Inspiring leaders are also highly passionate about their work. They
give energy to others, assisting them in advancing their skills while
maintaining a balanced ego and healthy assertiveness. Mark Zuckerberg, the
mastermind behind Facebook, grew his business from a small startup to a company
holding over 20,000 employees. Despite his staggering net worth and somewhat reserved persona, Zuckerberg’s approach to communication goes beyond the
typical CEO-staff dynamic. He heavily opposes team meetings, as he opts for
casual walks around the office where he chats with his employees and listens to
their suggestions and ideas. He gives his employees the freedom to voice their
opinions and offers constructive criticism. Zuckerberg believes this fosters
inclusion and a sense of belonging in the company. His communication skills
promote creativity and motivation.
3. They are assertive and confident
Assertiveness has long been hailed as the
primary characteristic of a successful leader. Inspiring leaders advocate their
vision and values most openly and directly. They foster alignment and conflict
resolution by setting the appropriate group and individual expectations and
orienting teams towards the most logical set of outcomes. Inspiring leaders are
responsible and encouraging, for they create an enticing objective that builds
confidence and fosters sign-up. Lawyer-turned-activist Reshma Saujani considers
girl empowerment in technology as the primary precursor for eliminating the
gender gap in the tech world. Through her non-profit organisation, Girls Who
Code, Saujani hosts around 90,000 girls trained in IT and programming
languages. As 40% of women are the primary breadwinners for their families, she
believes that the traditional image of a programmer as “a boy in a hoodie in a
basement” should be changed and that girls need to be taught to act bravely and
not be afraid of failure. Saujani advocates for women’s empowerment and
challenges the status quo by paving the way for others to participate in STEM actively.
4. They possess a clear vision
Inspiring leaders are seekers of diverse
perspectives. They demonstrate unparalleled curiosity, creativity, and
receptivity to input. They are also known for their overarching goals and
incomparable ambition. Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon.com, is well known
for his visionary insight. He was able to turn a simple idea about e-commerce
into a $1 trillion tech titan. Misunderstood for 20 years, Bezos’ vision never
faltered as it is driven by the goal to change the way people shop. Today, and
with endless innovations like Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited, and the
purchase of The Washington Post, Jeff Bezos continues to reimagine how business
impacts communication. His talent to picture a future that we have yet to see
reminds us that inspiring leaders are firm believers in their bold visions.
5. They persevere during adversity
Inspiring leaders never quit. They push beyond
any limitation and persevere during adversity. They stand up for their vision
despite the failure they may face along the way. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and
Tesla, is an excellent example of a leader who overcame adversity by never giving up. Musk was marred by constant failures and setbacks throughout his illustrious career, yet his belief in himself never wavered. Musk accepts failures as opportunities to learn.
Developing new technology means that failure will happen. Failures, however,
create the best opportunities to learn new things and always move forward.
Recently, Musk was announced as the world’s wealthiest man, with a net worth
topping $185 Billion.
6. They are transparent and honest
Transparency signals respect. Inspiring
leaders who embrace positive transparency exhibit honesty and trust, building respect, cementing a sense of belonging, and eventually initiating loyalty. In the book “Employees First, Customers
Second,” author Vineet Nayar explains that when leaders
share both “good and bad information,” transparency births more trust.
“Sometimes having a collective Achilles heel can inspire solutions from places
and people you least expect them from,” he says.
7. They are modest
Inspiring leaders are rarely an image of
opulence and wealth. Many opt for a more reserved life, far away from the
spotlight. Lyft’s co-founder, Logan Green, is the primary example. Often noted
for his modesty, and despite his astounding $300 million net worth, Green still
prefers carpooling to get to work. On the other hand, CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg
and Steve Jobs were never seen in designer clothing. Steve Jobs was famous for
wearing plain jeans and turtlenecks for the entirety of his career as a tech
mogul.
Inspirational leadership is essential to business growth and success. As Greg Savage illustrates in his article “People Don’t Leave Companies, They Leave Leaders”, employees do not leave a company blaming its location, team, or database. They leave their uninspiring leaders.
If a leader does not inspire their team to
achieve greatness, they are not leaders. They are merely a manager.
Love this article? Explore our entrepreneurial courses on skills for entrepreneurs and sign up for our mailing list below!