How to become an inspiring remote leader?
A leader's primary purpose is to lead the company through ever-changing times. Therefore, the most critical skill for every leader is to become inspiring. But how inspiration works, and how a leader becomes inspirational to their team?
Inspiration is a skill that can be learned but only after dissecting its parts and focusing on improvement. An inspirational leader can transfer the company's mission to its teams, ultimately securing a better future.
WHY DOES BEING INSPIRATIONAL MATTER?
Inspiration matters because it is the glue between the leader and their team. It creates a bond that transfers the company's mission to everyone, creating a shared mission and understanding. It ultimately leads to committed, productive, engaged teams.
CAN WE LEARN TO BE INSPIRATIONAL?
If we ask this question to a group of people, the overwhelming majority would think that being inspirational is a skill you cannot understand. You are either inspirational or not. People presume it works much like talent: you either have it or not.
I beg to differ. It is a skill that can get training, and it is something that you can learn and develop. Talent is overrated. There are temperament, affections, and maybe aspirations, but most are hard work and practice.
HOW CAN WE LEARN TO BE INSPIRATIONAL?
To learn to be more inspirational, we must dissect what inspiration is. Who's considered inspirational? What are their traits? Inspiration is a drive that gets you from a specific state to the desired end state—being inspirational means you can transfer this drive to others.
I think there are five key traits of being inspirational:
Have a vision.
You know where you will drive your team toward that end state. This trait is not something you can learn. It is the byproduct of analytical thinking and strategic planning.
Be positive.
A positive attitude accepts adverse outcomes but actively seeks solutions or way-outs to avoid them. Having a positive mindset is equivalent to being an excellent problem-solver. Which, as a leader, you should be anyway.
Be a team player.
It is the one where most leaders fail, and this is a trait that can resonate well for improvement. It means that you don't think of yourself separately as a leader sitting outside the team, requesting reports, briefing them, and, yes, micromanaging them. Instead, you are part of the team, giving support, contributing to the performance, showing gratitude, and, most importantly, you trust in your group.
Have a passion.
While a positive mindset is something that is more solutions-driven, passion is something that is more support-driven. If you are passionate, you care. Care about your work, company, team, results, and game.
Have integrity.
It is a combination of being kind and having some grit. Having grit means you have ambition, drive, and want to accomplish. It sticks to others, especially those who are competitive players. But being also kind means that you value human connections. You can create a space where team members can come to you, trust you, and talk about their needs and problems. And with the best of your knowledge, you help them.
Mastering these traits will lead you to today's big leadership buzzwords, like having a growth mindset.
The passion for caring about your people and the drive to achieve more will allow you to seek growth opportunities for yourself and your team members. Having a vision that you present to your team as someone who is part of the team will arm you with being a visionary.
#TLDR
Being inspirational as a leader is critical, especially for a remote/asynchronous leader. An inspirational leader enlists their team for the company's mission, and inspiration acts as a glue between the leader and their team.
Being inspirational is a skill that a leader can learn and develop to be better at it.
To learn being inspirational starts with dissecting what inspirational is.
An inspirational leader has a vision of the future and a positive mindset. The inspired leader is a team player with a passion for the company's mission and the integrity to act toward it.
Buzzwords like "growth mindset" mean the leader inspires their team and company to move forward to the future.
I hope I helped to simplify and, most importantly, demystify the "magic" behind inspirational leadership. Inspiration is nothing more than self-reflection, empathy, and hard work. I will also share some practical tips on showing up as an inspirational leader for your remote team in the upcoming issues of Leadership Anywhere.
Until then, take care.
Peter
