I was recently inspired (to overuse the word) to write on the topic of inspired leadership by Richard Pimentel. You see, Richard is a respected public speaker whose hearing disability attained in the Vietnam War drove him to become an activist for the Americans with Disabilities Act. I was fortunate enough to hear him speak recently and I’d like to pass along what I took away:
1. Do the right thing and fight for what you believe in. Listening to the music within is not always an easy journey, but it is extraordinarily worthwhile.
2. Being an inspired leader isn’t about you, you are the conduit to touch the people around you, move your business forward and help the community around you.
3. Inspired leaders see opportunity where others see problems – Richard climbed the mountain of Capitol Hill in Washington and created change with the Americans with Disability Act against all odds.
Many of us have heard the term inspired leadership. There’s a lot to it, but most of it, thankfully, is fairly intuitive. Still, it bares a deeper dive.
So what is inspired leadership? It’s difficult to define, but most agree that inspiring leaders are able to create enthusiasm, empower their people, instill confidence and all around be inspiring to the people around them. Inspired leadership moves people –customers, employees, suppliers and other key stakeholders – to follow.
If there’s one thing I know from decades of working with small business leaders, it’s that it cannot be faked. Truly inspiring leadership comes from within and is a reflection of character. It comes from caring about the people who work for you and the integrity of your product.
Another thing I’ve learned is that throwing down the hammer does not inspire people. Seems obvious enough, but you would be surprised how many business owners I’ve worked with over the years don’t heed this advice. Leadership by fear does not inspire, it compels submission in one task – and that task isn’t often done to the best of the employee’s ability.
What’s achieved when fear is employed to compel submission?
The minimum.
On the other hand, employees who are inspired by solid leadership are empowered. Why is that a good thing for you as a leader? Because they will do better work and that can only be a good thing for you. Again, seems obvious, but it is a common mistake, so it bears repeating.
The leaders role is to say when we do this, this is what’s in it for you and then – and I say this respectfully – get out of the way!
Let me know if I can help.
By Blair Koch
