Top
10 Secrets of Soul-Inspiring Leaders...Plus One!
By
Carol-Ann Hamilton
How
Is Your Personal Leadership?
"Did
you leave a trail of kindness behind you today?"
Think about it. If we were to engage with everyone this
way, wouldn't our time be well-lived?
We're
talking about personal leadership here. You can be a
CEO, Vice-President or Director without acquiring followers.
Or, no matter your title, you can inspire everyone by
walking your talk.
So
what creates the magic? The answer lies in your personal
integrity, attitude, vision and values. It is through
your unique personal style that others accord
you the right to lead. Position power doesn't cut it.
Personal power does.
Let
me ask you some questions. Does your organization's
team produce passionately versus passively? Are employees
engaging their full capacity? Or, did they leave their
best talents at the company gate?
The
performance difference stems from personal leadership.
Your character will define your ultimate accomplishment.
Why
Should We Care?
Soul-inspiring
leaders know people will increasingly decide where and
with whom they partner to share their valuable store
of creativity. An unrecognized talent war is about to
inevitably shift the labour market's power balance.
Here's
the issue. Demographics will soon wallop organizations
everywhere - promoting a massive talent exodus of seasoned
employees that will overwhelmingly impact growth and
productivity. Coupled with radically shifting workforce
expectations, all industries face a crisis of a magnitude
never seen before. No exceptions.
Forward-looking
business leaders know the solution to this brewing revolution
is to look today at how readily they attract
and retain the bench strength needed to thrive.
It's challenging already, and about to become a lot
harder. No longer are ten in line behind each person
disenfranchised.
The
Top 10 List
If
you seek to bullet-proof yourself from these inevitable
forces, consider our Top 10 List as the secret to inspirational
leadership and business success combined.
1)
Outer transformation begins with your inner-world.
Personal
leaders model sincerity, encouraging others to do the
same. They recognize openness as a necessary ingredient
to being trusted.
2)
"How we really are around here" starts
with your leadership.
Courageous
leaders' character and values demonstrate astounding
conviction. Instead of "shooting the messenger,"
they invite truth-telling from everyone.
3)
Think of yourself as a "servant" to others.
Personal
leaders never tolerate behaviour contrary to the greater
interest. Even if skilled, wayward individuals are not
allowed to prevail.
4)
Remember what is really important in life.
Work-life
balance is a way of life, not a program that one simply
subscribes to. Compassionate leaders point out unhealthy
behaviours rather than laud those who put in 16-hour
days.
5)
Build relationships first.
Solid
relationships are the leverage to achieve results. Authentic
leaders know "relationships first, task second"
gets the job done. At the same time, they never back
away from difficult performance conversations.
6)
Bring out the best in others.
Wise
leaders meet diversified needs with diversified responses.
They also attract and retain the bright and enthusiastic
team players their competitors seek to hire - becoming
employers of choice.
7)
Adopt people-centered practices.
Soul-inspiring
environments support people's success. Inspiring leaders
remove bureaucracy - granting employees the authority
plus responsibility to satisfy customers and shareholders
alike.
8)
Acknowledge your fellow human being.
Uplifting
leaders appreciate others' uniqueness. They look for
opportunities to make colleagues feel cherished.
9)
Be prepared to question your very notions about work.
Businesses
need to overhaul their traditional assumptions by discarding
the outmoded attitude, "They should just be
grateful to have jobs." To do anything less
in this era of massive upheaval is to risk becoming
obsolete.
10)
Answer people's yearning for a sense of meaning and
purpose.
Hearts
everywhere are pining for meaningful work. Employees
long to have their time at work make a difference rather
than be mindless.
Plus
one...
11)
Profit is an outcome, not a goal!
Profit
starts with treating people right. Profit is not an
over-arching goal; it is a by-product. First there must
be basic human respect and dignity by leaders toward
their teams. Productivity and profitability flow in
direct proportion to how you treat employees. Not the
other way around.
The
Call to Action
Transformed
organizations foster soul-inspiring personal leadership
as the means to build high-performance cultures where
people maximize their potential while achieving
bottom-line prosperity. And it all starts with how you
walk in the world...
At
the outset, you were challenged to consider whether
you leave a trail of kindness - in both visible moments
and when nobody is looking.
You
have been given the "business case" for inspiring
personal leadership. The rest is up to you!
-
Carol-Ann Hamilton is a sought-after expert on workplace
transformation and leadership. As a coach, speaker,
co-author of "The A to Z Guide to Soul-Inspiring
Leadership" and by-invitation-only contributor
to "Walking With the Wise for Entrepreneurs",
Carol-Ann brings over 20 years’ experience helping
leaders around the globe achieve bottom-line prosperity
through productive environments that invite each employee
to maximize their potential. To learn more, request
her free report, “Are You Ready for the Looming
Leadership Crisis?” by emailing info@changingleadership.com.
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