There’s a big difference between being a boss and being a leader. Anyone can be a boss, responsible for guiding their team and assigning tasks to different members of staff. But it takes something special to be a true leader.
A genuine leader inspires their team and motivates them to accomplish amazing things.
Effective leaders get to know their employees, so they can understand their strengths and weaknesses. This allows for effective delegation and increases the chances of each employee achieving personal and professional goals with the assistance of that leader.
If you’re working to become a more effective leader for your team, the key to success begins with inspiration. Here are some ways that you can motivate and inspire your people.
1. Set Clear Targets
Employees need to know what they’re working towards to ensure that they’re on the right path. As a leader in your organization, it’s crucial to have a clear idea of what the overall vision of the business is and what you need to do to get there.
Setting goals for each employee that will help to drive you towards your overall target will help to keep your people focused. Measurable goals are also much easier to track, ensuring that your staff members can measure their performance and see how far they’ve come in a specific period of time.
Excellent goals are specific, clear, and easy to understand. It’s also worth choosing goals for your teams that help them to identify their importance in the company.
2. Deliver Ongoing Feedback
Feedback has always been an important factor in keeping team members focused and inspired. Around 65% of modern team members wish they had more feedback from their leaders.
Effective feedback tells your employees what they’re doing right, so they know how to boost their chances of success. It can also be a tool in helping employees to pinpoint issues that might be harming their performance in some ways.
Remember, giving feedback doesn’t just mean telling your staff they’re doing a good job or a bad one. Be specific with the feedback you provide, so your people can really learn.
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from your staff too. They could give you excellent insights into how to be a more effective leader.
3. Be Fair with Compensation
There’s more to keeping your team inspired than paying them the right salary. However, it’s hard for anyone to be invested in a job where they feel as though they’re not fully appreciated.
If you can’t offer the most competitive salary compared to the other companies in your space, ask what you can do to make their role more appealing to staff.
Can you deliver extra benefits and learning opportunities, so your employees feel like they’re accomplishing more when working with you?
Is it possible to provide more paid time off work, or more flexible scheduling, so your teams can arrange their days to suit them?
Think outside of the box when it comes to showing your teams that you understand their worth.
4. Create a Company to Be Proud Of
One of the biggest jobs many business leaders have is creating an image for the company. They need to be able to explain what the true mission and goals of the company are to team members, so they feel as though they’re a part of something important.
If you want your employees to feel inspired and motivated, then give them a target to get behind. Let them know how you’re making the world a better place, not just how you’re making as much money as possible.
Can you get involved with charities that your team members care about?
Can you contribute to your community in a way that’s going to inspire team pride?
Find out what your employees care about and get involved.
5. Work on Communication
Finally, it’s hard for any team member to feel inspired if they don’t also believe that they have a voice in the company. They need to know that you take their insights and feedback seriously.
With that in mind, try to build a company culture around open communication and collaboration.
Ensure that your staff members can share their ideas on how to improve the business freely, without any scathing remarks or risk of negative feedback.
When your employees share their ideas on how to make things better, show them that you’re taking their ideas into account by highlighting the things you’ve done to see whether those ideas could work.
As a Leader, You Can Inspire Your Team
Employees are more inspired when they believe they have a significant ownership and investment in the company they work for.
Avoid making your employees feel like “just” a member of staff. They want to be a crucial part of the team. Build that feeling of comradery and see your leadership skills and team results soar.
Thank you for reading our blog!
- Mike Acker
Check out my new book on Public Speaking: Speak with Confidence, published by WILEY.
A breakthrough to develop confidence in speaking, leadership, and life. A followup book to my best selling book, Speak with No Fear