A lot of leaders are beginning to realise that team motivation and inspiration are integral parts of business success. The role of these qualities in the workplace is that they drive employee engagement and boost productivity levels. Adam J Clarke, Founder and CEO of Macropay, admits that despite how obvious it is that inspiration is needed, it might be surprising for you to learn that many leaders struggle with inspiring their team.
In the wake of the ’emotional intelligence over intelligence quotient’ era, studies have shown that a great percentage of high performing employees do so under the leaders with high emotional intelligence. These leaders simply know how to bring out the best in their employees, both through empathy and validation.
Simple Tips to Inspire Your Team
A positive work process will lead to value creation
Demonstrate that the work process will ultimately lead to value creation. Team members are more likely to trust in a company’s process when they can see how their contributions either meet a need or push company growth. Such a team is inspired to commit to work because they know their input is valued.
You can do this by either explaining the workflow to them or showing them the output of their efforts. This serves as some form of validation which tends to bring out the best among employees.
Develop genuine interest in your Team
Employees are deeply influenced by leaders who show genuine interest in them. By their actions and words, these leaders show that they have only the best interests at heart.
You can demonstrate authenticity when you make efforts to get to know your employees better. It could be by asking them how well they are managing an assigned task or by calling on them to seek their opinions and suggestions on some projects.
Respect is the foundation
Yet, another critical factor in inspiring your team is respect. It is one thing to value the input of your team members and it is another to respect them and listen without prejudice. Although used interchangeably, they do not mean the same thing.
While valuing the input of a team member may sometimes be impersonal or at best, purely transactional, respect for this team member is personal. It goes beyond appreciating what this individual brings to the table. Respect is about actually hearing what they have to say and viewing their presence as indispensable. Respect can motivate an employee to increase the quality of their work. It can even change their outlook and make them “own” challenges that might arise in the company.
Be relatable
Leaders are bosses but this should not alienate them from the entire workforce. A team is more motivated and inspired to yield results when its leader does not struggle with vulnerability.
Such a leader is more receptive to suggestions and does not hesitate to admit mistakes in the hopes of correcting it. This makes the leader more relatable, and the team does not shy away from presenting errors that would otherwise be a spanner in the wheel of optimal productivity. Relatable leaders establish trust among the team thereby, inspiring a greater sense of teamwork. This team spirit then progresses to become a key motivator.
