7 Ways to Know You’re an Inspiring Leader

I’ve done a lot of blogging about the differences between bosses and leaders. I’ll let you peruse some of those posts at your leisure, but if I had to sum ‘em up I’d say this: Leaders don’t just manage people, and they don’t just tell people what to do. They inspire people. They make people want to follow them, and they empower them to succeed.
Of course you’re probably asking yourself: Am I a great leader? Do I have the hallmarks of a true inspiration figure?
You’ll have to do a little self-inventory to know for sure, but to help you gauge your own leadership capacity, let me offer you this… seven signs that you are indeed an inspiration figure in your workplace.

The Seven Signs of Inspiring Leadership

1. You have a sense of purpose beyond your own success. Wanting to achieve great things on your own terms hardly makes you a leader. No, leaders are folks who measure their own success by the success of others; they see it as their mission and purpose to help their team members thrive. If your purpose is to empower, you may be an inspiring leader!
2. You’re approachable. Do your team members feel comfortable approaching you with questions, concerns, or feedback—or do they tremble at the very thought of entering your office? If you’re intimidating rather than approachable, that’s a problem.
3. You’re open-minded. Great leaders are open to whatever works, even if it’s not their own idea. Do you actively court solutions and suggestions from your team members—and implement the ones you think will work? Inspiring leaders do.
4. You’re candid—and constructive. Inspiring leaders give the gift of feedback. If your team members actually accept your constructive feedback and make changes to their performance, that shows that they respect you, and know you’re trying to help them improve.
5. You treat your employees with equality. Favoritism and inspiration do not work together. If your employees feel like you prefer some of them over others, that ultimately reflects badly on your leadership style.
6. You’re grateful. Inspiring leaders are thankful for the efforts of their team—and they’re not afraid to say so.
7. You focus on your team. If you’re happy to give credit to team members, rather than hog it all for yourself, then you’ve definitely got some of the traits of inspiring leadership!

Take stock of yourself—and use these points to determine how inspiring you really are.
Dr. Rick Goodman CSP is a thought leader in the world of leadership and is known as one of the most sought after team building experts in the United States and internationally.
He is famous for helping organizations, corporations, and individuals with systems and strategies that produce increased profits and productivity without having the challenges of micromanaging the process. Some of Dr. Rick’s clients include AT&T, Boeing, Cavium Networks, Heineken, IBM, and Hewlett Packard.
For more information on Rick’s speaking programs, audio programs, and learning programs, contact (888) 267-6098 or Rick@rickgoodman.com, or visit www.rickgoodman.com.

5 Phrases Great Leaders Use Every Day

We’re taught from a young age that actions speak louder than words—and to an extent, that might be true. Yet for leaders, words matter. They are among your greatest tools. A well-timed and well-chosen word can inspire your employees to achieve greatness; the wrong word can cause morale to plummet, or even bring your very leadership into question.

Your words will impact your employees—and your employees will absolutely remember the things you say.

So… what are you saying? What do your words reveal about your leadership style? And what are some phrases you should be adding to your everyday vocabulary?

Add These Phrases to Your Workplace Speech

As leaders, we all think and communicate a bit differently, but I can tell you that there are certain phrases that I always love to hear coming out of the mouths of business owners, managers, and bosses. These phrases, to me, epitomize leadership, and I think you’ll find them to be hugely impactful to your day-to-day engagement with your team.

Try them out and see what a difference they make:

What do you think about this? The exact wording may be a little different; for example, what’s your take on this?  However, it’s important that you adopt the language of collaboration, and make it clear to your employees that you really value what they think. Actively court other opinions and perspectives, and give your team members ownership of team decisions.

What do you need? Empower your team members to do the work you’ve given them. Make it clear that your role is to support them, and help them feel comfortable asking for the resources they need to thrive.

I trust you. It is amazing how powerful this phrase can be in building confidence among your team members. Let them know that you hired them because you believe in their ability to do good work, and that you feel no need to micromanage or to babysit them.

Great work/we can do better. Part of being a leader means encouraging your employees and affirming their hard work—but it’s also your job to push your team to do better and to achieve at a higher level. It’s a balancing act, but one worth investing in.

Thank you. Short and sweet: Let your employees know that their work is acknowledged and appreciated.

These aren’t magical phrases that will transform your business overnight, of course—but they will help you establish a productive, collaborative company culture where your leadership is truly inspiring.

Dr. Rick Goodman CSP is a thought leader in the world of leadership and is known as one of the most sought after team building experts in the United States and internationally.

He is famous for helping organizations, corporations, and individuals with systems and strategies that produce increased profits and productivity without having the challenges of micromanaging the process. Some of Dr. Rick’s clients include AT&T, Boeing, Cavium Networks, Heineken, IBM, and Hewlett Packard.

For more information on Rick’s speaking programs, audio programs, and learning programs, contact (888) 267-6098 or Rick@rickgoodman.com, or visit www.rickgoodman.com.

What Will Be Your Leadership Epitaph?

Will you join me in imagining a quick scenario? Imagine that you’re my boss, and I’m your employee. I put in several years of work for you—five, ten, maybe even fifteen. Then I move on to something else—but then, 20 years down the road, our paths cross once more.

Maybe I’m with my wife when it happens. We’re exiting a restaurant, and I spot you waiting outside for a table, or just sitting down to enjoy your meal. I gesture to my wife. “Do you see that person over there?” I ask her. “That used to be my boss.”

“Oh really?” my wife might ask. “Was this person a good boss, or a bad boss?”

Now here’s my question for you: What am I going to say to my wife in response to this question?

Or, to cast it less hypothetically… what will your current employees be saying about you years, potentially decades down the line?

Will they remember you at all?

And if they pass you on the street, will their immediate recollections of you be fond, admiring ones—or will they be negative?

This is the concept I like to call the leadership epitaph, and it’s really pretty simple. What it boils down to is the need for leaders to think about how they’ll be remembered, and what that might mean for the way they lead their team right now.

There are a couple of different dimensions to the leadership epitaph. There is the broader sense of what your tenure as leader will ultimately mean to the company. Will you be remembered as the executive who created new jobs, expanded profits, and helped the company soar to new heights? Or will you be remembered as the person who was in charge during a period of major layoffs and losses?

But frankly, I think most employees will remember you less for the big picture stuff and more for the day to day. Do you lead by inspiring your employees—or yelling at them? Are you open to their feedback? Do you make them feel valued? Do you allow them to have their voices heard?

Do you empower your employees to be productive and happy in their work life?

These are the things your employees will remember. These are the things that will one day comprise your leadership epitaph.

So let me ask you one more thing: Are you concerned about what your employees will say about you when they pass you on the street, years from now? It’s only natural to wonder, but you can do more than that. You can think honestly and critically about your leadership style right now, and make the changes necessary to create a positive leadership epitaph.

Dr. Rick Goodman CSP is a thought leader in the world of leadership and is known as one of the most sought after team building experts in the United States and internationally.

He is famous for helping organizations, corporations, and individuals with systems and strategies that produce increased profits and productivity without having the challenges of micro managing the process. Some of Dr. Rick’s clients include AT&T, Boeing, Cavium Networks, Heineken, IBM, and Hewlett Packard.

For more information on Rick’s speaking programs, audio programs, and learning programs, contact (888) 267-6098 or Rick@rickgoodman.com, or visit www.rickgoodman.com.

Do You Accept Constructive Feedback?

I’ve said in the past that one of the greatest gifts a leader can give to team members is the gift of honest feedback. Taking the time to provide a quick word of encouragement or constructive criticism can go a long way toward showing employees that they are noticed and valued; that you are invested in their future and their place on the team.

But there is a flipside to this, as well: A hallmark of leadership is that you don’t just offer feedback, but also welcome it in your own professional life. Great leaders actively court feedback from colleagues and from employees—and don’t get their feathers ruffled when the feedback is less than positive.

Receiving the Gift of Feedback

It’s a simple fact of life: None of us like having our shortcomings pointed out to us, yet other people can often identify our faults more accurately than we can. When you’re willing to graciously accept that kind of feedback—not bristling or getting defensive, but actually engaging with it and implementing some changes—it shows that you’re a humble leader. It shows that what you care about is seeing all members of your team improve their performance and get better results over time.
When your team members come to you with feedback, then, it’s important to accept and even embrace it—not brush it aside. Some tips for taking constructive feedback well include:

• Don’t take it personally. Remember that everyone has blind spots and skills that need further developing. The fact that you have some areas to work on does not mean you’re a bad person, and that’s surely not what your team members want you to think. The goal is for you to get better, and your team members are just trying to help you—not insult you!
• Specificity is always a good thing. “You’re not a good communicator” is not great feedback; if your team members approach you with something like that, ask them for something more specific. That shows that you really want to improve, and it gives you measurable goals to work toward.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help! If your team members identify problem areas, maybe they can also help you brainstorm some solutions.
• Be grateful. Say thank you for the feedback—remembering that, for your employees, it’s probably really hard to approach their boss or manager with words of constructive criticism!
• Offer to return the favor and do an employee appraisal for anyone who comes to you with feedback—not in a tit-for-tat manner, but in the interest of making everyone on the team even better!

Remember: Feedback is a gift. Give it—but also open yourself to receiving it!

Dr. Rick Goodman CSP is a thought leader in the world of leadership and is known as one of the most sought after team building experts in the United States and internationally.

He is famous for helping organizations, corporations, and individuals with systems and strategies that produce increased profits and productivity without having the challenges of micro managing the process. Some of Dr. Rick’s clients include AT&T, Boeing, Cavium Networks, Heineken, IBM, and Hewlett Packard.

For more information on Rick’s speaking programs, audio programs, and learning programs, contact (888) 267-6098 or Rick@rickgoodman.com, or visit www.rickgoodman.com.