Achieving your company’s vision requires having everyone in the organization working towards achieving that goal. Here are ten ways to inspire people in your organization on the way to achieving your company’s vision.
1. Watch Your Own Behavior…Carefully.
Your people watch what you do more than what you say. If you want to inspire positive change, follow Gandhi’s advice and be that change.
2. Serve Your People with Humility
Your people will do more for you and the organization when they know you care about them. Take other people’s perspectives. Ask questions. Focus on their needs. It creates a bridge to others and strengthens your relationships.
3. Reveal Your Vulnerability
This is difficult for anyone in a leadership position. But as researcher Brene Brown illuminated, there is great power in being vulnerable. We are all vulnerable. It’s not a weakness. It is part of being human. Dropping your defenses and showing vulnerability demonstrates your self-acceptance and inner strength. It also helps foster trust and respect with your teammates.
4. Bring Your Ideas to Life with Stories, Images, and Symbols
Stories, not facts, are what move us. We learn best from stories, not data. Stories that evoke vivid images and emotions work magic. Leaders throughout history have used symbols and metaphors to move people to action.
5. Smile…Often
Smiling is the most powerful and underutilized way of inspiring your people. Smiles are contagious. They relax people’s defenses. They promote a clear mind and an improved mood. Try it right now: smile and notice how you feel. Watch how it brings you back to the present.
6. Bring Play and Humor to the Office
Don’t make it all about business. Play is fundamental for positive mental health and creativity. Instead of making business the opposite of play, find ways of integrating play into your workplace. Humor improves employee performance, increases innovation, and drives profitability.
7. Embrace the Role of the Coach
Growth is a higher human need that all of us share. A coach helps us clearly see where we are now and determine where we want to go in the future. A good coach challenges us to perform at our best, capitalizing on strengths while paying attention to weaknesses. Leaders that adopt a coaching style of leadership create more loyal, higher producing, self-actualizing employees.
8. Connect to a Greater Sense of Meaning and Contribution
When the main motivation to come to work each day is a paycheck, all is lost. Inspired organizations create environments where people want to come to work. Core values can be a powerful tool to set the tone for any corporate culture. You can foster an environment that is distinct, meaningful, and empowering to the people that come to work each day. These values must connect with the hearts and minds of your people—and yours too.
9. Lead with Vision
One of the most essential roles of a leader is to stay connected to an inspiring vision and to continuously find ways to give that vision life within their organization. This isn’t just accomplished through corporate presentations and memos, but in daily meetings and one-on-one exchanges around the office. Having a wildly important goal helps keep your team focused on what matters most.
10. Focus on Your Customers
Your employees are real people. Your customers are real people too. Reminding your employees that their purpose is to serve real people does two important things: it connects them with your organization’s purpose and it provides a greater sense of meaning to their work. And, don’t generalize your customers into demographics. Get to know them—especially your best customers, the critical few that can change the course of your business.
We hope these ten tactics aid you in inspiring your organization and push you further toward achieving your company vision.