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Great leaders are often able to inspire and support their colleagues at a moment’s notice, whether this is a result of their general presence, their kind words of support, or their personal achievements in the working world.
This majestic trait may appear to come naturally to some, but in truth, the best leaders are molded by a lifetime of experience, ambition, and dedication.
For a good leader to inspire their workforce, they too need inspiring in the first place, but how exactly do they find it?
Even those at the highest level of management need direction and guidance sometimes, despite being simply expected to always make the right decision at the right time.
If you want to develop your own leadership skills, sail your company toward exciting new horizons and chase innovation around every corner, you will likely need a little inspiration from time to time.
It can keep you from feeling as though you are stagnating, push you closer to your goals, and help you renew a sense of purpose – here are some tips to help you find some inspiration of your very own.
Look Toward Those Who Found Success
If you ever feel like your efforts are all for nothing, or you cannot see a way out of the fog that is the intricacies of business management, perhaps looking toward those who already found success can inspire you.
Success stories can be awfully contrived, but there are so many examples to consider, examples from people who may have one day been in a very similar position to your own.
Whether or not you aspire to achieve a certain lifestyle is almost by the by because what taking note of success stories does is remind you that anything is possible.
If it is the flash cars and lifestyle you are after, that is a totally achievable goal too; just check out the philanthropy of Michael Savage New Canaan for some useful advice and support.
Collaborate with Your Team
Sometimes, the recipe for inspiration and innovation might already be staring you right in the face, and it could take the form of your very own team.
Placing your faith in your team and making an effort to effectively communicate and collaborate with them might remind you why you wanted to become a leader in the first place.
If you have worked your way up to a managerial position, you will probably know how it awful it can feel to have to deal with a manager who does not care to listen to you.
Conversely, you will likely be aware that working with a leader who listens to and respects your views can add real joy to your professional life.
In this regard, inspiration can be a two-way street, a perpetual cycle that is set in motion by the relationship between manager and employee, one that should be nurtured if you get the chance to do so.
A few more benefits that collaboration can bring you (benefits that could lead to you finding that all-important inspiration) include:
- The Chance to Bounce Ideas Around the Room – In a high-intensity environment, keeping the energy up is key. Bouncing ideas around your team can be a wonderful way of stumbling upon a stroke of genius, or better still, an inspiring thought that leads to innovation.
- The Sense of Community and Togetherness – Your team is like your community, and sometimes, it is important to know that there are others out there who form your support network. Being able to turn to your colleague for inspiration, no matter who they happen to be, is a wonderful prospect for any leader.
- More than One Mind – What is better than one mind coming up with all the ideas? More than one mind, obviously, so do not hesitate to pick the brains of your trusted team members; they might have the next inspiring thought just waiting around the corner; all you have to do is ask.
- Problem Solving – Working together to solve problems can help develop an atmosphere of inspiration in the workplace. Do you ever find yourself stuck on a seemingly impossible barrier? If the answer is yes, perhaps your team can supply you with the inspiration you need to overcome your problem.
Leaders who make themselves open to communication can often find it easy to fit in with their team and, therefore, their company culture, which beats being on the outside if you want to be an integral part of the organization.
There are several sources that leaders can use to improve their communication skills and become more open to communication. One of the most effective sources is enrolling in courses and communication workshops and training programs like online communication skills coaching by Clear Communication Academy that focus on teaching leaders how to effectively convey their message, listen actively and respond appropriately to feedback. Additionally, reading books and articles on effective communication strategies can provide leaders with valuable insights and new ideas.
Develop Your Existing Managerial Skillset
Be it through training, experience, formal education, or any manner of personal and professional development opportunities, striving to bolster your skillset should always be a continuing priority for a leader.
People never stop learning, nor do their skillsets ever stop expanding, provided a commitment to self-awareness and education is established, of course.
How does this help you find inspiration? It is simple – it provides you with the tools you need to better tackle your responsibilities, solve problems, make decisions, and in some cases, perceive the world itself.
Practically speaking, you can do this by attending an online course, volunteering, taking on new responsibilities, or reading as much business literature as you possibly can.
Reading is succeeding, so never underestimate the inherent and limitless possibility of a good book.
Say, for example, that you were stuck on a problem at work, and you had no idea where to turn to for support and inspiration – learning a new skill, or rather, a new methodology that you can apply to your problem can help you approach the situation in a totally new light.
The tools you need to thrive and nurture inspiration are waiting at your fingertips; sometimes, all it takes is for you to seize your sense of agency and actively do something about it. As a leader, thiswillmost likely fall well within your remit.
Look Within
You do not always have to search the cosmos in the desperate hope of tripping over some inspiration; in fact, looking within yourself might be the best way to go every now and then.
Why not start by asking yourself five soul-searching questions, like:
- Why did I want to become a leader in the first place?
- What gives me the drive I need to keep going every day?
- What am I working to achieve, not just in business but in life in general?
- Which professional do I most revere and why?
- What do I need to do to reach the next stage of my career?
They might seem like rather straightforward questions, but if you sit down and truly think about them, they can be extremely useful in your search for inspiration.
On the other hand, searching outwards can also be exceptionally useful, and your hunt should not be limited to just the business realm either.
Inspiring figures can be found across the entire planet, professionally speaking or otherwise. Sports icons who have mastered their craft might be ideal for you, Roger Federer, Lionel Messi, Amanda Nunez,etc.
It is worth noting that inspiration can be found in the smallest detail, the most purportedly trivial sentence, or the quietest voice. This does not mean your search needs to be monolithic in scope; it just means that you need to keep an open mind.
Reading success stories can end up having the adverse effect, so if you read one of those ’10 most inspiring business leaders’ lists, and you end up shaking with fury and incandescent rage, do not worry, you just need to look somewhere else, and not necessarily to other people.
For example, you could sit down and stare at the dawn for a while, losing yourself in the beauty of nature. Returning to the natural world is what many people find a great comfort and solace in, so why not try it out once in a while?
Get a Change of Scenery
If you are stuck in the same old office day in and day out, there is every chance that the concept of inspiration is nowhere to be found without at least a little shake-up.
Getting a change of scenery can be immensely important in this regard, and this can range from something as small as changing your route on your walk or drive home, or it can be something huge like fleeing the country for a lost weekend in the depths of a forgotten jungle.
While this is, of course, an extreme example, the sentiment still stands, which is that changing your surroundings is good for the mind.
Changing scenery for a while is a fairly common undertaking for those wishing to find inspiration; just look at when the Beatles went to India – that was one of their most productive writing periods!
Thanks in part to the online world, leaving the (dis)comfort your regular desk is now easier than ever before, as any business savvy digital nomad will be able to tell you.
Embracing the remote/hybrid working model could be a good way to do this, as it essentially allows you that extra flexibility and freedom without necessarily having to sacrifice the quality of your work.
If you cannot see this being viable in your immediate future, there are some small ways you can shake up your scenery without having to try too hard.
You may want to start by going for a run around a new route at lunchtime, or if you are feeling slightly adventurous but do not want to travel anywhere quite yet, then you could get your hands on a VR headset.
You could always pick up a good travel book or scour the web for a well-written blog or two that recount vacations in detail, as this is admittedly a far less expensive way of traveling from the comfort of your own home or office.
It’s Personal
What works to inspire your colleagues, friends, family or strangers, may not work for you, but then again, why should it? After all, inspiration is an extremely personal feeling, a subjective viewpoint that is arrived at via only the individual mind.
In recognizing this, it may help prevent you from becoming frustrated with your search, and perhaps it could even point you in a more familiar and comfortable direction, one that yields the result you were hoping for all along.
There is only so much advice that one can ever possibly take in at once, and if you feel as though nothing is quite working for you in terms of finding inspiration, there is no need to panic, as it can take time to manifest just don’t give up.
