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How to be an Inspirational Leader in 3 Steps

Guest post by: John Nicholas

Article Overview: "Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality." So said Warren Bennis, world renowned authority on leadership. Leaders must be inspired. If a leader is not then his followers won't be either. There are 3 vital steps you must take to translate your vision into reality that inspires others to follow.

How to be an Inspirational Leader in 3 Steps

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality." So said Warren Bennis, world renowned authority on leadership. Leaders must be inspired. If a leader is not then his followers won't be either. These 3 steps are vital in translating your vision into reality:

1. Paint a picture

People love stories. Keep your people inspired and motivated by telling short stories that relate to the work and challenges at hand. Give examples in descriptive word pictures rather than data, philosophy and long drawn out dissertations. Abraham Lincoln was a master at that. He explained why he was adamant about preserving the Union during the civil war by saying, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." These words have lived on through the years as among his most wise and profound statements.

2. Recognize and celebrate the successes of others, no matter how small

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel chain has about 35,000 employees. They have a regular ritual of recognition to give local fame to their employees. In every Ritz-Carlton, everyday and in every department they have a 15 minute meeting in which any one has a chance to tell a WOW story. A WOW story is how they went above and beyond normal 5 star services. Recognition for that gives them local fame among their peers (not to mention maintaining the hotel chain's world-wide reputation). It's a wonderful form of recognition that inspires others to look for opportunities to share WOW stories.

3. Articulate a clear, concise and specific one sentence vision and then support everything it takes to make it happen

That's different than a mission statement which is usually long, convoluted and developed by a committee (and that everyone has to pull out a card to read). A vision statement is a picture of a better future. An example of one of the most famous is JFK's moon landing vision statement. On May 25, 1961 he appeared before a joint session of Congress and challenged them with this clear, concise and specific vision: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth." He had many skeptics. However, they became true believers when on July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon and then returned safely to earth.

In summary:

• Tell short stories that relate to the challenges at hand
• Celebrate the successes of people no matter how small
• Create and share your vision being clear, concise and specific
• Visualize the end result
• Work back from there to determine the resources and support it takes to make it a reality

By following these simple, yet vital steps, you will become recognized as a truly inspirational leader.

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Article Tags: inspirational leader, leadership, leading, motivational leadership



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