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Inspirational Leadership Starts With Personal Responsibility

Guest post by: Michael Hume

Article Overview: Personal responsibility seems to be losing popularity in America these days. At least, if you keep up with the news, you know the current government is operating much more from a position of government intervention and control than from a guiding principle of personal freedom and responsibility. This, though, is excellent news for leaders who have the desire and ability to drive themselves; as leaders who exude an inspired personal responsibility become more scarce, their value in the "leadership marketplace" soars, and great followers seek them out.

Inspirational Leadership Starts With Personal Responsibility

To Inspire Your Followership, First Inspire Yourself In Three Key Areas Over the years, one of the hottest topics my coaching clients have wanted to explore has been how to become a more inspirational leader. The answer is a little different for each leader, but the foundational principle is this: take personal responsibility for getting - and staying - inspired. People naturally follow leaders who embody an inspired approach to work, and indeed to life.

Personal responsibility seems to be losing popularity in America these days. At least, if you keep up with the news, you know the current government is operating much more from a position of government intervention and control than from a guiding principle of personal freedom and responsibility. This, though, is excellent news for leaders who have the desire and ability to drive themselves; as leaders who exude an inspired personal responsibility become more scarce, their value in the "leadership marketplace" soars, and great followers seek them out.

Benjamin Franklin had it about right more than 200 years ago when he rhymed: "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." This is still not a bad habit to develop; for today's leaders, I think the quest for personal inspiration takes you through three key areas similar to Ben's list. The inspired leader today is conspicuously healthy and vital, visibly successful, and driven by inspiring personal values.

Healthy.

Some bosses often hear the words "You look tired today" - but the inspired leader rarely does. Instead, the inspired leader is often described as "hard charging," "a go-getter," or "a high energy person." Part of that is how much your work inspires you emotionally, but you can't ignore the influence of basic physical vitality on how you are perceived. I know many leaders who assume they have neither the time nor - oddly - the right to take care of their own physical vitality, and expect themselves to be the hard-charging go-getter by means of some magic that flows from the mere self-expectation. Nonsense. People don't naturally follow tired, grumpy leaders. Take personal responsibility for your own vitality with five basic daily habits around nutrition (don't eat garbage), exercise (work up a sweat for 20 minutes every day), water (drink two liters a day), sleep (get at least seven hours), and supplements (take at least one good all-purpose supplement). After a few days, you won't look tired, because you won't be tired.

Wealthy.

Your intuition tells you people follow those they perceive to be successful. You may not be financially wealthy - yet - but if you're reading this you probably have many blessings to count. So while I don't advocate becoming blatantly material or being perceived as a worshipper of money, I do think your followers need to see that you are grateful for what you have and that you are capable of building on your successes. Be a good steward of your personal resources (and those of your business), and you'll inspire your team to do the same. Share the credit for your accomplishments, and your followership will grow in both quantity and quality. Simply find a way to exude success, and success is what you'll harvest.

Wise.

I define wisdom as smarts driven by values. I list this one last as a nod to Ben Franklin's rhyme, but for most people seeking to become more inspiring leaders, I suggest this is the logical starting point. You already are smart enough through your education and experience, so now you need to take inventory of your personal values and make sure you are living them with integrity every day. When you're perceived as a leader driven by inspiring personal values, you're a powerhouse. In fact, one of the most inspiring leaders I ever met is the one I married - people follow her instinctively because they know she will always "do the right thing," every time, no question. So what are your values, and how do they link to your business? What is the "why" that drives you? Figure that out, and your followership will blossom.

Too many times I've counseled a young leader who's basically waiting around for someone else (usually their own boss or client) to inspire them, or who cite how "uninspiring" their work is as a reason to be the tired, grumpy boss they don't want to be. While it's true that healthy people seek healthy environments, and that you should change jobs if you truly believe your work conflicts with your values, most of the time you have what you need right at hand if you'll learn to appreciate it.

These days, no one is going to come along and inspire you. You'll have to do it yourself. And no one's going to take care of you either, in today's environment. You have to take the personal responsibility to form the team, start the business, launch the product, fix the problem, create the experience, or build the better mouse trap. So get inspired. Be the vital, successful, values-driven leader you know you're meant to be.

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Article Tags: business responsibility, inspirational leadership, personal responsibility



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