The secret behind being an 'inspiring' manager
The skill that is always gatekept
Gooood morning team
When you think of someone ‘inspiring’, who comes to mind?
For me it’s people like Michelle Obama, with her commitment to education, or Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, who transformed the company through empathetic leadership.
These people feel like giants, far removed from our day-to-day role as a manager.
Which makes the idea of us being ‘inspiring’, be unreachable.
But here’s the truth: Inspiring your team is a skill, there is a process to it that you can follow day to day to be looked up to.
And when you do so isn’t just about admiration - research shows that employees inspired by their leaders are 125% more productive (!!)
Let’s break it down…
Where does inspiration come from?
Inspiration taps into our team’s intrinsic desires - those internal values that drive us on a deeper level than just money or status. Psychology tells us that intrinsic motivation (driven by a sense of purpose) is far more effective than extrinsic (like money or titles).
Example
Extrinsic motivation: You go to the gym with the goal of having a six pack or looking good in a bikini on your summer holiday.
Intrinsic motivation: You are consistent with fitness to improve your mental health or feel better in your own skin.
It’s proven time and time again that intrinsic motivation is more likely to keep us going.
The same applies to your team. Intrinsically motivated employees show higher job satisfaction and greater commitment.
So as a manager, your role is to help your team tap into those intrinsic motivations, by connecting their daily work to a bigger purpose (than just the bonuses or pay rises).
Below is the exact 3 step process I still follow daily to stop being a run of the mill manager, and really start being an inspiring leader that my team feel driven by.