By Daniel Bobinski
The Internet is full of pithy words of wisdom. One axiom I’ve seen recently on my social media feeds is that entrepreneurs are inspired, but leaders inspire. I wholeheartedly agree. While there is much more to leadership than just inspiring others, it’s not a bad place to start.
The word inspire is derived from the Latin word, “inspirare,” which means to breathe upon or into. It suggests the idea of breathing life or energy into something or someone. If you look around your workplace, you’ll see that certain people are naturally gifted to do that. They naturally inspire others, even if they’re not officially in a leadership role.
Research has shown that people who are good leaders practice a certain set of characteristics. Some people come by these naturally, while others have to learn them. Still others try to learn them but never do. At the same time, there are some who don’t want to learn them at all, and that’s OK.
Even if you don’t aspire to be a leader, sometimes we have coworkers who could use a boost, so I’d like to take a few minutes to examine seven traits often found in those who inspire others.
- Integrity and Authenticity. Inspirational people are honest, trustworthy and act consistently with their values. They set an example of maintaining high standards and they follow through on promises.
- Courage and Resilience. Inspiring people face challenges with determination, pushing through their fears in the face of adversity. Doing so becomes contagious.
- Vision and Purpose. Inspirational people either have a clear vision for the future and are deeply committed to achieving it, or they wholeheartedly sign on to the vision and purpose of their organization. Their dedication often sets the standard for others to follow.
- Empathy and Active Listening. People who inspire are genuinely understanding of others’ perspectives. They show compassion, they build trust and strong connections, and they work to ensure people feel valued and supported.
- Passion and Enthusiasm. This ties closely to #2 (facing challenges with enthusiasm), but it takes it up a notch. Demonstrating a contagious passion for one’s work sets a standard for others to follow.
- Humility. Inspirational people never seek glory for themselves. They recognize the contributions of others and they emphasize the value of teamwork. They are also quick to show gratitude for any support they receive.
- Adaptability and Innovation. People who inspire others are not opposed to change. They know the only constant in the universe is change, so they are open to it. With that, they value creativity and encourage others to innovate.
Again, even if you don’t want to be a leader, if you want to inspire others, this is a good list of attributes to build within yourself. Each trait is powerful by itself, but put them all in one person and you have someone who can powerfully influence and motivate others to achieve their best.
If you had a workplace in which everyone does these things, can imagine the impact?
Daniel Bobinski, Th.D., is the author of the best-selling book “Creating Passion-Driven Teams” and the owner of Workplace Excellence. Also a certified behavioral analyst, Daniel consults and conducts training on workplace effectiveness and leadership development. He can be reached at danielbobinski@protonmail.com or eqfactor.net.
