As a child, I used to play a game where I would imagine myself with Superpowers. My favorite Super Hero was SpiderMan. I loved his commitment and responsibility to his powers and how he used them to do good. His sarcastic shots to the villains that he was fighting always made me laugh. Although he was my favorite, it wasn’t SpiderMan’s powers that I imagined having. The Superpowers that I dreamed of having was that of Jean Grey.
As an extremely shy introvert, getting other people to see my point of view was always difficult. I would often feel invisible watching people in the midst of discussions never knowing how to interrupt. So imaging myself with Jean Grey’s telepathic powers was always fun. As I grew older, I forgot about the Super Power game I used to play as a kid. Although I remain an Introvert, I learned how to fight my shyness and went into management.
As a manager, we try to find the best traits that would make us effective leaders. We are given the mandate to drive results and maximize all of the KPIs we are responsible for. There are several priorities leaders face every day, so we work on the actions that would give us the biggest return on our investment. Great leaders try to develop those traits that not only make them inspirational leaders but that drive consistent results.
What traits are the most effective? Not just short term, but long term. To answer this question, think back. Think to a time where a leader inspired you. What traits did this leader possess?
If I were to survey a room, there would be common traits that would be mentioned, but there would only be a handful that would spark strong emotion.
In order to inspire, great leaders need to have one Superpower that is similar to that of Jean Grey. She possessed telepathic powers enabling her not only to read minds but to project her thoughts into the minds of others. No, I am not suggesting that inspirational leaders need to learn mind control. They can however inspire people to follow their vision. They also have the power to make people BELIEVE.
The most influential leaders believe in making a difference, serving others, & #mentorship #servantleadership pic.twitter.com/aKRDrktXin
— Valerie Martinelli (@ValerieAnne3330) December 8, 2015
Inspirational leaders not only believe in their vision but in their team. They don’t see where the employee is today, they see where the employee can be tomorrow. They take this ability and make their teams see it too. Then, they provide the training and tools necessary to make it happen.
When an employee feels like their leader not only believes in who they are today, but in who they can become tomorrow, it is easy to feel inspired.
Any thoughts?