Practical Strategies to Inspire Leaders and Teams Today and Tomorrow
/Today and tomorrow’s successful leaders, teams, and organizations are a healthy blend of human-centered skills paired with a clear strategic vision and a respectful eyes-wide-open embrace of technology. Inspired leaders will have the courage and confidence to support a values-based culture where people, ideas, and innovation thrive in a rapidly changing environment.
Success for organizations will come when their leaders are self-aware individuals who are not expected to have all the answers to every challenge, but who do support a growth mindset. The successful leaders of today and tomorrow create a culture (or micro-culture), of trust, resilience, self-reflection, creativity, transparency, responsibility and pride in the work that they do and the contribution they make.
As leaders face pressures like never before, the following is a 4-point framework that explores the path inspired leaders can follow to successfully develop their organization culture, team culture, and the expectations of the people around them. Leaders and organizations that embrace transparency and a people-first approach will build employee and stakeholder confidence that will lead to employee and customer loyalty.
1: What might it look like to lead with a people-first focus?
Leaders who lead with a people-first focus create workplaces where people feel respected, motivated, and inspired to contribute their best.
Goal: Trust, empathy, and inclusion as the foundation of influence.
Focus on making values-driven decisions that sustain the reputation and stakeholder trust.
Build a culture of physical and psychological safety based on communal values and goals where employees know they can be authentic and share ideas freely. This includes embracing diversity and respectfully discuss cross-cultural customs and history.
Create an environment where respectful feedback is encouraged and where difficult conversations training enables everyone to give and receive feedback that will strengthen the individual, the team culture and/or the organization.
2: How might a leader inspire with purpose?
Innovation thrives when leaders and employees feel it is safe to explore and share new ideas. Leaders who inspire with purpose energize teams, attract top talent, and build loyalty with customers and communities.
Goal: Rally people behind a shared vision of the future.
Develop and fully support a strategic vision, using it to connect people, guide ideas and provide confidence to everyone from employees to suppliers to clients.
Communicate frequently and clearly, using stories as well as data to share information and progress.
Engage diverse voices and embrace the idea of collective intelligence by bringing everyone into key discussions and plans.
3: How does a leader inspire adaptability and agility?
Leaders who adapt with agility ensure their organizations remain relevant, competitive, and resilient in volatile environments.
Goal: Thrive in rapid change, uncertainty, and disruption.
Embrace innovation and a growth mindset. Focus on ongoing learning and see change as a positive opportunity to stay relevant, respectful and agile.
To reduce stress and anxiety across your team, support the expectation that change is not always easy but that sharing your vision, mission and values will allow you to all feel confident and supported as you stay eyes-wide-open and boldly go forward.
Stay current with technology, new equipment and trends like remote work.
4: What are some opportunities to inspire growth with others
Leaders who grow with others create sustainable organizations where innovation and leadership flourish long after they’re gone.
Goal: Building capacity, talent, and leadership at every level.
Provide skills training to current and future employees on leadership, mentoring and coaching in order to develop the next generation of leaders.
Encourage your team to recognize the importance and opportunities that exist when communities (people or teams), support each other, learn with each other and share success.
Ensure everyone is trained on how to use new technology the same way and for the same things, i.e.: seamlessly.
Progress doesn’t need to be perfect - it almost never is. But when a team stays agile and has the courage and confidence to support a values-based culture they will experience long-term success.
Thank you for reading Practical Strategies to Inspire Leaders and Teams Today and Tomorrow. I look forward to hearing from you if you have any questions.
Bruce
Other articles in this series include:
About Bruce
Bruce is Corporate Trainer, Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach and Author.
Bruce Mayhew Consulting specializes in customized Difficult Conversations, Crucial Conversations or Conflict Management Training, Email Etiquette Training, Leadership & New Leadership Development, Generational Differences, Time Management Training and other soft skills training solutions in Toronto and across Canada. Bruce is also an Executive Coach to a few select clients.
Bruce is an experienced motivational speaker in Toronto and has inspired audiences across Canada and within the USA and the UK. Bruce works hard to always make sure your training event, conference, retreat, or annual general meeting is a success.
