Inspiring Leadership – It’s Inside All of Us

“Have you ever had a bad boss?”

That was the opening line at a speaker event I recently attended.

Most of the people in the room sheepishly raised their hands. It’s sad, but not surprising there’s so many of them out there. Long ago I had a dreadful boss and I learnt so much from him – so much about how not to lead! He was a bully and his behaviour was infectious. Leaving the job was the only way out.

The Good Boss

“Have you ever had a good boss?” the speaker then asked, instantly raising the energy in the room. My most inspiring manager lead the team when I worked in medical sales, which was my first full time role. Constructive guidance and encouragement resulted in our team maintaining the top region position in the company. A true role model.

Learning to Lead

We are not all natural leaders with instinctive skills to guide our workforce forward. But we can learn to be better leaders – even great ones – by tapping into inherent characteristics and building on them.

Start with Trust

Genuine intention to develop inspiring leadership techniques starts with trust.

  • Trust in the end result
  • Trust in those who can coach you
  • Trust in the people you wish to guide

When a manager or supervisor communicates openly and trusts the people around him/her to do what’s needed, the results undoubtedly follow.

Everyone is a Leader

Whatever an individual’s role is within an organisation, everyone has personal responsibility. When someone sees something is wrong, for example, a leaky pipe or dripping tap, they have a choice. Either, they can leave it for someone else to deal with and say internally ‘that’s not my job’, or, step up and show there’s a better way, by pointing it out to a supervisor.

It’s the senior leader’s role to ensure that everyone is empowered and has the confidence to act when necessary.  Of course, processes should also be in place for ensuring the issue is rectified.

Leading on Sustainability and the Environment

Each of us has been a contributor to environmental damage. Reducing environmental impact requires everyone’s involvement. Within businesses, this means creating a culture throughout the organisation for driving affirmative action.

The changes in the ISO14001:2015 standard emphasises the importance of Leadership and Commitment from the top, dispersing through the business.

Watching these changes take place is an exciting thing to see. Not just for me, but for everyone who is a part of it. Developing a common purpose through sustainable thinking makes the workplace an uplifting place to spend the working week. The knock-on effects go beyond environmental improvement, additionally stimulating cohesion and loyalty, greater staff well-being and retention, being among the multiple benefits.

For more information about how to guide your workforce toward environmental improvement, email Coral Mountain at improve@coralmountain.co.uk or call (0113) 289 2208.

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