I happened to stumble across an article titled 22 Qualities That Make a Great Leader published by Entrepreneur. As someone who continuously reads all types of articles that address leadership, management and everything business, I thought I was strapping myself in to read an article that has the same repurposed content as every other leadership article.  

However, I found a quote that resonates with my own experiences of leadership and inspiration to continually work towards achieving great results, based on my families experience who have immigrated to Australia with nothing but a few suitcases.

Inspiration

“People always say I’m a self-made man. But there is no such thing. Leaders aren’t self-made; they are driven. I arrived in America with no money or any belongings besides my gym bag, but I can’t say I came with nothing: Others gave me great inspiration and fantastic advice, and I was fuelled by my beliefs and an internal drive and passion. That’s why I’m always willing to offer motivation—to friends or strangers on Reddit. I know the power of inspiration, and if someone can stand on my shoulders to achieve greatness, I’m more than willing to help them up.” —Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Governor of California

I completely agree that to inspire the leaders of tomorrow, the leaders of today should be focusing on the next generation of leaders and passing on knowledge and wisdom to create a culture of inspiration.

Inspiration. Passion. Leadership. Education.

These words are some of the values that I hold closely when leading my team. As the CEO of an organisation that is comprised of five companies, it is often a struggle and to get through my daily to-do list. I have an open door policy that allows all of my employees to interrupt and run ideas past me, even if it is after hours or when I am buried in work. 

I have this policy as I want a hand in creating and supporting great leaders from a business point of view. I firmly believe that instilling a culture of inspiration leads to great results, and this starts inspiring your team on a personal level. These people may not work with you forever, but if you can inspire them to achieve great results throughout their career, there is no better accomplishment as a leader.  

How do great leaders inspire?

Inspiration is not easy to achieve, and it’s even harder to instil. There have been times when I have struggled to go into work after travelling and working long hours the day before, and there are times when I want to lock myself in the office and do nothing but get my own work done. However, I know that my leaders of tomorrow are looking to me for guidance and at how I conduct myself as I run my business. Ultimately, my desire is that this modelling is reflected in their personal lives and in their professional results. 

Here are a few characteristics of great leaders. 

Knowing your team

Everyone has heard stories of CEO’s and executives that come into work after 9 am, lock themselves in their office, don’t answer calls and leave before 5. I have friends who have never said a word to their managers and fear their relationship. This is what I call a ‘boss’ rather than a leader. The most effective leaders I have seen know their team, even those who don’t directly report to them and send a signal of positivity, no matter how busy they are. Wander around the office once a day, and say hello to everyone, you will see a significant culture change. 

Future-oriented

It’s quite common for leaders to be so overwhelmed that they just try and get through every day without looking towards the future. Moreover, this type of leadership is often recognised by your team. Whereas, if you have your sights on and plans set for the future, it reinforces the message that you are in it for the long run and invested in creating continued success. 

Committed 

Commitment doesn’t mean that you need to work 14-hour days. To me, commitment means that you are passionate about getting results and inspiring your team to help you. Commitment is coaching someone through a 3-hour task that would take you 30 minutes. Commitment is giving your all for your team, your company and yourself. It’s not how hard you work, it’s how smart you work and the message you send. 

Goal orientated

Everyone has goals. You want to earn $10k more this year, or you want to retire by 60. However, unless your team know your goals, the company goals and why you want to achieve them, they will be confused as to where the business is heading. There is nothing worse than a leader not sharing their goals. There is no passion there. Passion breeds inspiration and inspiration breeds great leaders, which leads to great results. 

Be a team player

To inspire your leaders you need to let them know that they are valuable. You may think that it’s the HR department’s role to know what your team’s personal and professional goals are, but if you truly want to inspire, you need to show that you care. If you are a leader, the chances are that you have worked incredibly hard to get where you are and that someone has inspired you to achieve your goals. Return the favour.

Respect

Respect is a little word, but huge regarding creating future effective leaders. Give them respect and they will respect others. Always encourage them and never put them down. They will, in turn, support and encourage others and they will collaborate and trust each other.

Fairness

Many of us think that being fair is about treating everyone equal, right? That’s where great leaders differ. They know that being fair isn’t about everybody getting the same thing, or being treated exactly the same way – or what they view is equal. Fair is everybody getting what they need to be successful – and that might be a different thing for different people. Great leaders create and provide situations and opportunities for leaders that support each individual in getting what they need to be successful.