What are the “7 Traits of an Inspirational Leader?” What or who has inspired you this week?
We will loosely describe the inspirational leader as one who leads others through actions that compel people or an organisation to move in a desired direction for the benefit of everyone involved.
Personally, I was hugely inspired by a leader whom I volunteered to do a podcast for a few weeks ago. This week, he simply posted about inspirational leaders to follow on LinkedIn; and included me on the list. Wow! I was humbled and overwhelmed with gratitude by the sheer number of people who reached out to connect with me as a result.
You know who you are, and I simply want to say, “Thank you, you inspire me!”
I digressed. Let’s get to the topic at hand.
Here are 7 of the traits, that I (along with others) have seen exhibited by hugely successful leaders in various roles and circles across the world:
-
Vision:
The inspirational growth leader sees beyond the ‘now’ and the perceived challenges.
-
Commitment:
Commitment is about bringing the vision into reality. It comes with a huge decision (with no boundaries) to succeed; an ability to transcend beyond the individual to group level success. Commitment drives a strong sense of purpose on an individual level and for the collective.
-
Trust:
Being trustworthy requires a high level of ability to trust others to do the right thing. This can also be called ‘connected leadership;’ self, teams, clients, stakeholders, etc. coming together to achieve the goals of an organisation. Trust leads to less micro-managed environments and high performing teams.
-
Inspiration:
Of course, we can’t get far without talking about inspiration. True leaders take inspired action in support of the vision and the results they want to get to.
It involves communicating, delegating and empowering other leaders and their executive teams to fall in line with the ‘oneness’ of the overall vision. Check out some inspirational leaders in the Forbes article….
-
Balance:
It’s a balancing act; possessing the ability to dream big while keeping your feet firmly grounded to ensure the nitty-gritty is done. This brings home the right results and desired partnerships.
Balance is an invaluable inspirational leader trait. It is where strategic overview effectively meets tactical execution at its best!
-
Sense of Completion and Fun:
Without a great sense of completion and accomplishment, balance will be difficult to achieve. Seeing the vision and execution through to the end; even if delegation is key.
Great inspirational leaders can’t do without a sense of completion. This is why some make it a point to celebrate every little success along the way!
-
Servant Leadership:
Finally, we talk about an aspect of leadership which is becoming increasingly popular. Leaders who have mastered the above six traits find it easier to serve. You’ll recognise them as the ones who easily check out their ego at the door before they enter the meeting room or engage in conversations.
They find it easy to walk through an audience to connect and bond more with people. On occasion, you’ll see them take unassuming roles e.g. serving teas and coffees to celebrate successes or even commiserations.
Actionable Advice:
So, I now invite you to score yourself on a scale of 1-10 for each of the above traits. Are you done?
Now, which traits did you score the lowest? Which were your highest? There are no right or wrong scores. They simply show imbalances that prevent us from attaining our highest potential, both in life and in business.
Should you want a more accurate interpretation of your score and the steps to take in order to improve, please feel free to connect with me!
Being an inspirational leader is about breaking barriers, reconnecting ourselves and others to greatness, creating better blueprints, longer-term relationships, and better bonds.
– Maggie
Find great products and services for your well-being from members of The Wellness Universe!
For over 15 years Maggie Sarfo has worked with ambitious corporate execs/entrepreneurs on business and personal growth.
Her clients say they eliminate blocks that prevent them from reaching their highest potential; resulting in exponential business growth, purpose identification and development.
