How Do You Inspire Your Employees?

The developments and rapid changes in the business world in recent years have made an agile and dynamic working environment a necessity. It became important to make fast and correct decisions not only in top management, but also at the edges, where events unfold. In addition, the employee profile has also changed. People no longer want to do only what they are told, but to find meaning in their work and to see what they do serves a purpose. Companies that could read these developments correctly and adjust their leadership behavior began to be more successful. Managerialism in the familiar "manager" model has also become obsolete and the need for good leadership has come to the fore.

People who lead people in their team, rather than being managers, are more successful and get better business results. An important feature of successful leaders is that they can inspire the people on the team. Leaders themselves should do some introspection before trying to inspire employees. Leaders who are excited and motivated can fill employees with a natural urge to do something creative. Leaders who share their excitement with their teams can create a serious dynamism if they also pave the way for them.

Today's jobs require collaboration more than ever, and this collaboration must be at the employee level, not just at the top. Managers who want to be aware of everything, and employees who don't take initiative and ask everything upward are things that slow down companies tremendously. Employees need to take the necessary responsibility to do the work and be able to create ideas to improve the business. It is very difficult to achieve this without a supportive and motivating leadership that gives employees confidence.

The famous Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi describes a highly focused state of mind as "Flow". Some of the features of the flow state are a complete focus on the task, clarity of goals, loss of the concept of time due to immersion, the experience itself being rewarding, and a sense of control over the task. Mihaly says the best moments in life are not about passive relaxation, but when the body and mind are pushed to their limits with a voluntary effort to achieve something difficult and worthwhile. When a person enters such a mood, they can be very creative and enjoy their work. Teams that enter the flow state of mind due to the attitudes of their leaders can also be very successful.

One way leaders can be inspiring is by setting out a vision and challenging but achievable goals. Of course, the vision should be shared with the team and the employees should be accountable. It would not be right to give people tasks they know nothing about what it serves and to leave them out of the big Picture. This will lead employees to frustration. The feeling of accomplishing something together is very important. People are more successful in jobs they feel a part of. Being aware of each person's contribution and approaching with interest will definitely increase the sense of contribution.

A situation that inspires the teams is leaders that roll up their sleeves and be with them on the front lines. A role modeling leader on the front raises everyone's morale and creates volunteer followers. An example of this was Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was also a great storyteller. It can be very motivating for a leader to get his hands dirty from time to time, unless he turns into a micro-manager who questions the fine details of everything.

A desirable feature for qualified employees is that they can find personal development opportunities at work. Therefore, work environments with many high performers where they motivate each other are very attractive. When it comes to self-improvement opportunities, not only training but also learning from the environment should be understood. It is very inspiring to have a learning opportunity involved in the work. In this sense, it is a good method to have employees train others on certain subjects. 

Inspirational leadership requires knowing employees, and looking at the whole person not only in the sense of what the job requires from her. Since the employees are all different personalities, there is no formula that can be applied to everyone in the same way. The behavior that inspires each employee can be different. Employees may not be aware of some of their abilities. Being inspirational starts with discovering and honing the skills that lie within each person.

Inspirational leaders use their experience and knowledge to help and guide employees and remove the barriers in front of them. They instill a sense of belief that they can succeed by relying on people in the team. They engage them and unleash their inner power and true potential. Today's companies need leaders who deliver results and inspire at the same time.