Become the Inspirational Leader Your Team Needs

Leaders who have a talent for inspiring their team are always the most successful, and those who work for them are always happier. When colleagues can see your passion and feel your energy, they become more motivated. But what does it take to become an inspirational leader?

The first thing you can do is learn by example. Most people can identify someone in their working lives who they have looked up to and respected, whether that's a manager you had early in your career or a well-known figure like Richard Branson. Ask yourself why you respect them, what they do well and what you could learn from their leadership style.

In order to be an inspirational leader in your own right, you need to be the one setting the example. People will look at your actions and follow your lead, and actions often speak louder than words. People admire managers who are prepared to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in. Never ask someone to do a job you wouldn't be willing to do yourself.

It's important to empower your team. Great leaders should spend more time listening than talking - taking in people's ideas, hearing their feedback and learning how you can improve things for them. By showing you value their thoughts and feelings, you build a sense of community. The more people feel empowered to talk, the more they will talk, and that talk is often the starting place for big ideas.

Great leaders also nurture the people who work for them, providing opportunities for career development, offering training and helping their talents to shine. By spotting potential and mentoring, you help shape the leaders of tomorrow and you will earn their loyalty as well as their respect.

Inspirational leadership is the glue which brings employees together. When you set the tone of the workplace culture by inspiring, you create a more motivated, more innovative and more productive team.