Inspirational leader! How you inspire your team?

Leadership is a skill that can be acquired with the implementation of carefully thought of steps!

Following are some areas people see in leaders:

•          Good boss guide others either by doing something himself or by directing a specific course of action.

•          Believes on performance rather than experience.

•          Focus on what went wrong & why.

•          Evaluate each & every action that he performs.

•          Accept the responsibility for consequence of his action.

•          Never does something that goes against his conscience.

•          Begins & takes a task to its completion.

•          He is able to create a image of role model

•          He does not let his subordinates feel their inferiority.

•          The subordinates should be aware of what are the positive qualities of the leader & which, in fact, had led to   the  position that he is in.

To understand people concerns and exhibit the commitment towards resolving the issues, you can start following practices to inspire your team:

•          Take frequent shop floor or cafeteria rounds.  This will help you to connect with all level people.

•          Organize listening lunches – where the leader has a monthly lunch with staff at all levels.

•          Just have a talk around. Management by walking about, just asking questions and listening.

•          Organize fortnightly department meetings.

•          Have a detail monthly talk with line manager.

•          Monthly employee meeting bringing all people together.

•          Communicate with them through department newsletters.

•          Create the chat room or knowledge forum on website where anyone can post a question.

But be aware, if you heard issues, you need to change the situation also.

Besides this your main thrust should be on trust. Leadership is nothing but trusting your capable people. You can exhibit your trust by transferring you power in following way.

• Allow your team to sign the documents like invoice, documents etc.
• Nominate and allow the representation of your team members in at seminars, public speaking. Encourage them to participate in public events on behalf of the company.
• Create no-blame culture.
• Create right-first-time culture.
• You have to allow the decision making process as low as possible onto the shop floor and trust employees enough to try and take those decisions for themselves. In Toyota, operators at the shop floor can stop the line if he see any quality problem.
• Constant verbal appreciation and an appreciative attitude from your manager build a culture of appreciation, which has a longer-term effect.
• Internal departmental or employee awards for excellence.

Courtesy by: Jagdish Badal, Asst.Manager (IFEN Ahmedabad)