How do you put ✅Inspire team on your to-do list?

Leaders INSPIRE their team to want to step up.

Note; Motivation and inspiration are two different things. Motivation comes from within and inspiration can come from external sources.

How do you inspire your team when you already have so much work to do? How do you put that "to-do" on your list? ... ✅Inspire team.

You have your "behind your desk work" stuff you do. That alone is more than enough to keep you busy.

And then you're supposed to go and inspire your team?? YES!

What do you go DO when that's on your list as an action item? What does executing that look like?

It looks like engaging with your team - communicating. 

When engaging...sometimes you listen. Sometimes you talk. No epic revolution there - that's communication. 😆

Listening is a super-important skill and one we shouldn't overlook. However, today let's talk about...talking. 

When you have the megaphone

As the leader, you often have the megaphone. And when you talk, people listen. Each time you talk is an opportunity to inspire. (No pressure! )

When you're doing the talking, there are 3 types of communication:

Asking

Yes, technically this goes back to listening. Questions are a great way to open people up and ask them to get involved, just by answering a question.

Asking the right questions leads to gathering the facts. The point is to get feedback. Ask how things are going. Gather information from the people you're leading.

That alone is inspiring. It shows you're curious, that you care and you want their input.

Telling 

The second type is telling people what to do. That's not a bad thing if your'e the boss. It's expected. It's part of being the leader. You need to disseminate information out to your group. Or perhaps you need to give instructions.

You can also let people know the "state of the union" so to speak. Let them know how the industry, company or group is doing. "Here's where things stand." "Here are the facts I've gathered."

It's also on you to communicate the vision. "Here's where we're going." It's your job to paint the picture of where the company or the industry is going. WHERE are you leading them?

People want to know where things are headed, especially if there is any fear about the company, division or industry as a whole. They want reassurance.

If you don't share the facts - people will make up the (not-so-factual) facts.

Talk to them. Tell them what's going on. Talk about the mission they are a part of. Tell them the goals and targets you're shooting for.

Give them clarity.

Coaching

And then there's coaching, my personal favorite.

For the leader, part of communicating is wearing a coaching hat. In this role, you're not always talking but you are planting seeds, caring for them. and giving them room to grow.

Coaching is a combination of listening, asking, and sometimes - telling. You're walking people through a process of which they are the main contributor. It's their language, ideas, contributions; but you're still leading.

Coaching people is about helping them think differently and shifting them in how they see things.

Coaching is about helping people believe in themselves and recognizing what they're contributing and what they're capable of.

Asking, telling and coaching are all factors in inspiring and engaging your team.

Today is the day to #GoForIt and #Live Deliberately.

Founder, Personal Evolution Co.