I was having a chat with one of my friends recently and we got onto the subject of best bosses we have ever worked for. Naturally, he said I was one of them (!!), but who else was on his list of excellent bosses?
Well, after we discussed who they were, we jotted down what set them apart as such inspirational leaders, and I offer this list from my scribbled notes:
1) The vision they have for their and the company’s future is inspiring and absorbing. This means their co-workers choose to follow the direction the leader is taking them, rather than feel they have to because they have no choice.
2) They are able to communicate that vision in a way that inspires. It’s one thing to have an inspiring vision; it’s another thing entirely to be able to communicate it in such a way that people follow regardless of your position.
3) They devote themselves to continuous improvement. They may have left school, but they have never left education. Whether it’s in the car, the plane or in their spare time, they are constantly either learning new things or putting those new things into practice.
4) They create a working environment that people look forward to coming to. The environment is the culture they develop every day within the workplace. A leader knows that fun and enjoyment at work are the results of the culture they encourage.
5) They create learning and growing opportunities for all staff, because they recognise that everyone is inspired by developing themselves in a way that makes them feel important and different.
No doubt you can add to this list, and I’d love to hear from you on this subject. Maybe you have found ways to set yourself apart as an inspirational leader and have reaped many rewards. If so, you set yourself apart from the masses and are a great model for others to follow.
