Inspiration is more than creating excitement or a sense of belonging. It’s a force that shapes an organization’s culture, energy, and creativity. At its core, inspiration is a path to a shared vision. It requires vulnerability, conviction, encouragement, and respect. Inspiration-oriented leaders don’t need to tell people what to do. They instill motivational belief in others, the mission, and success. They liberate others to embrace new possibilities.
Upleveling Inspiration
Cultivating an Inspiration practice is vital to being an effective leader. It amplifies others’ influence and drives business success. As a leadership influencer, the practice of inspiration scales through six progressive impact fields: ignore, block, build, maintain, multiply, and source. Each increasing level of impact includes and transcends the prior levels of capability and engagement.
Each word pair below shows the leadership impact field (e.g., maintain) and the impact potential within the applied leadership practice of inspiration (e.g., collaborate). The word pairs signal probable contributions and impacts in the field. Each field cites potential, not a definitive expectation of impact. Leaders can rise and decline at any moment based on various factors.
These impact fields are likely predictors of impact on business results, team engagement, and performance. To shift to a field of more significant potential takes an honest assessment of your current impact and a genuine willingness to create and engage in a development plan.
- Ignore and Distance—Leaders avoid emotional and professional needs. While they may perform well alone, they have a low regard for EQ. A lack of care and concern breeds distrust and resentment in others. It weakens the bonds needed for cohesion and commitment.
- Block and Reject—Leaders reject new ideas or perspectives. They believe that vulnerability is a liability and distracts from business outcomes. They withhold positive feedback and the celebration of effort. A lack of positivity and connection stifles a team’s growth, innovation, and motivation.
- Build and Transact—Leaders focus on short-term, expert exchanges. They may have tactical empathy but tend to base relationships on performance, which limits inspiration and long-term engagement.
- Maintain and Collaborate—Leaders sustain momentum by fostering engagement, open participation, and resource and idea sharing across the organization. Teams work together with trust and encouragement, creating an environment that fosters shared goals and creative problem-solving.
- Multiply and Partner—Leaders partner with their teams. They amplify their influence, turning inspiration into a shared resource. This motivates the whole organization and enables sustainable growth and success.
- Source and Liberate—Leaders mobilize others to explore their best selves through belief in their potential. They free their teams from conventional thinking. They empower them to take risks, explore new ideas, and innovate. This drives transformative change.
Each impact field reflects real-world influence. A leader evolves from limiting their team’s potential to empowering them to reach new heights. To have a significant impact in an organization, all four applied leadership practices must be developed: wisdom, inspiration, innovation, and achievement.
Inspiration in Leadership
Inspiration ignites passion, fosters creativity, and drives resilience with ease. In a world of rapid change, uncertainty can grow. Inspired leaders provide direction and the emotional fuel for their teams to thrive. The best leaders don’t demand performance. They create environments that motivate people to give their best. It should be out of belief in their potential, not obligation.
Inspirational leadership shifts the focus from short-term goals to long-term fulfillment. It urges teams to think big, take risks, and innovate. A vulnerable, encouraging, and respectful leader fosters a culture of positive regard, growth, and achievement.
Self-reflect on Your Impact
A leader can use inspiration to shift and visualize their growth. Take an honest look at your leadership. Reflect on these three key areas: block, build, and multiply. Where are you now?
- Reject: Leaders limit their teams by withholding inspiration. They may do this without realizing it. They tend to be more critical and squash new ideas. They focus on results, ignoring their own and others’ growth. The absence of inspiration stifles creativity and accountability, causing disengagement.
- Transact: Leaders begin to practice vulnerability and encouragement. They attempt to inspire their teams by recognizing outcomes. Teams become more cohesive, motivated, and productive. Yet, a leader’s influence is limited by focusing solely on performance.
- Partner: Leaders inspire others as a hallmark of influence. It’s now part of their leadership. In this advanced practice, their teams feel motivated and inspire others throughout the enterprise. They create a ripple effect and focus on fostering a brave environment for innovative thinking. They focus on business performance and personal accomplishment to sustain a thriving culture. They let inspiration spread through the organization like wildfire. Teams are self-driven, collaborative, and innovative at scale.
Why We Fail to Level Up
What is keeping you from growing in this crucial leadership practice? Here are three typical challenges I see in my coaching practice. Which one resonates with you the most?
- Fear of Vulnerability: Leaders may fear sharing their weaknesses will undermine their authority. Yet, vulnerability is critical to unlocking genuine connection and inspiration. Without it, a leader can remain in a controlling, non-inspirational state.
- Lack of Trust in Others: Some leaders may hesitate to inspire their teams. They may doubt their ability to succeed on their own. This can cause micromanagement or limiting beliefs, keeping the leader “blocked.”
- Short-Term Results: Focusing on short-term metrics may cause leaders to ignore the long-term value of inspiration. Inspirational leadership takes time to build, but its results—innovation, resilience, accomplishment, and loyalty—are more sustainable.
How to Shift Influence
To help leaders shift their focus from block to build and from build to multiply, they can follow this plan:
- Embrace Vulnerability: Begin by sharing your stories of challenges and growth. Let your team see your humanity. This will create a culture of trust and encourage others to take risks and grow.
- Offer Encouragement: Consistently highlight your team members’ strengths, even in failure. Offer specific praise and foster a sense of belief in their abilities and impact on the business and others. Encourage learning and innovation over perfection.
- Build Systems for Peer Inspiration: Create systems for team members to inspire each other through structured activities and casual chats. Peer-to-peer recognition, storytelling sessions, and collaboration spaces can inspire your organization.
- Model Positive Regard: Treat every interaction as an opportunity to inspire. Act, speak, and decide to show that you believe in your team’s potential. Be consistent in your encouragement, and your team will rise to meet the expectations you set.
The Master Wisdom Key
As you evolve your leadership impact, remember the words of John Quincy Adams:
“If your actions inspire others to dream, learn, do, and become more, you are a leader.”
Inspiration is more than a momentary motivation. It’s about changing how people see themselves and their potential. By shifting from block to multiply, you become a light. You will guide your team to grow, innovate, and succeed beyond their dreams.
Make inspiration believable, and watch your organization thrive.
What’s next? Explore the following post to dive deeper into the innovation practice: A Leader’s Guide: Practicing Leadership through Innovation.
Questions? Let’s Connect Now.