SHIFT TO GROWTH

How do some leaders generate great inspiration within their teams and ultimately experience a constant standard of performance, innovation and productivity?

The answer is simple. Leaders who inspire are inspired themselves.

If you want to create extraordinary results in your team then you have to develop the ‘art of inspiration’.

In my experience as a Leadership mentor to top CEOs and having seen first-hand the magic that the leaders I work with create, the ‘art of inspiration’ begins with a daily set of 10 easy habits.

  1. Start each day with the intention to make it a day of inspiration. This means that you are enthusiastic yourself. Enthusiasm is contagious. In fact, the definition of Inspiration is ‘Fervent Enthusiasm’. Your staff will spark if you are enthusiastic about the day ahead and when challenges do appear you are solutions driven and not problem focused.
  2. When you travel to work remind yourself of your purpose. As a leader you have been given the wonderful gift to inspire others and to lead others to great levels of personal success. That is the gift you give to yourself and others.
  3. On a daily basis express your gratitude and appreciation for the hard work, creativity, innovation or loyalty of your staff.  It’s simply a case of saying Thank You for your support and contribution at any moment at any time during the day to any employee who is doing their best.
  4. Get off your chair and out of your office and connect with your staff. I have seen how effective this is when a manager takes time out to chat to staff members and to share a little about their own lives. In turn, your staff will share about themselves. This helps to make you ‘real’ in the mind and relatable and gives you the opportunity to provide mentoring or coaching on an informal basis.
  5. Everyday, without exception, live the values that your organisation stands for. When you do this it shows that you are leading from the front and you will inspire your team to adopt and display the company values themselves. This is a powerful way to create a desired culture and climate in your company.
  6. Practice the power of optimism. This is the ability to be hopeful about the future. The inspirational leader and Captain of the ill-fated ship called the Endurance, Ernest Shackelton, once said that ‘optimism nullifies disappointment’. He’s spot on. When you get your staff focused on working towards a powerful vision for the company you ease apprehension and worry. Staff members are more engaged, innovative and driven to achieving results.
  7. Be consistent.  This means that everyday in every moment you display a constant level of behavior. This is the power of emotional intelligence. When you are inconsistent your destroy trust. Trust is the foundation of the success of any leader. Be fair and be transparent in your engagement with all people.
  8. When you leave your office for the day, review the highs and lows of the day. Ask yourself this question, ‘As my team members travel home today what will their thoughts be of me as their leader and the team that we have created’. Are they feeling excited about coming to work tomorrow’ If you feel the answer is yes then you’re on track to been an Inspirational Leader. If the answer is No, and there may be many reasons for this, take time out to think how you can improve your leadership style to create a more inspirational workplace.
  9. Read at least one leadership book every month. You will be amazed at how reading can help you to get new ideas, become inspired yourself and also give you ideas and insights that you can share with your staff in meetings or daily-kick off sessions.
  10. Before you go to sleep reflect on your personal vision. What is your legacy going to be and drift off to sleep inspired to make that vision and legacy come alive each and every day.

personal growth grant driverThe Shift to Growth

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to attend a Growth Mindset conference in New York. The concept of Growth Mindset is becoming increasingly popular an approach to managing change personally and professionally.

I use the methodology of Growth Mindset extensively in my coaching practice. Change can be a very difficult process to experience and the truth is that we will always experience change in every area of our lives. So what’s the secret to effective change management then? It’s your MINDSET.

You mindset can be either FIXED or a GROWTH oriented. When you have a Fixed Mindset you believe that you are limited to your current skill set and strengths. You limit your growth by your self-concept and perceived limitations. When you shift and move to a Growth Mindset you begin to see that you can develop new skills and discover other strengths that you possess. I guest it’s a journey of self-discovery and awareness.

How do you make the Shift to Growth.  Here are my 5 Growth Mindset tips:

  1. Identify your strengths. A great tool to use for this self-discovery is the wonderful book ‘Now Discover your strengths’ by Marcus Buckingham. Once you know what your strengths are you can find ways to apply them in all areas of your life and you will move to a greater degree of fulfillment.
  2. Find out which of your weaknesses you can turn into strengths. This could involve the assistance of a coach or through a training programmed. Don’t get too caught –up trying to change all your weaknesses. Learn to manage them instead and where possible stay in your strengths zone.
  3. Be optimistic. I know that been positive is easier said than done but when you realize that you can learn new skills at any age and you start to upskill yourself you will experience a great sense of joy. Be optimistic means to have a belief that things will get better. With a Growth Mindset you know that it’s a matter of time before you are able to get through the changes you are experiencing and come out of it all as a better person and leader.
  4. Learn from others. The best teachers are your colleagues, family and friends. Their experience and knowledge can be extremely beneficial. Ask people what they’ve learnt from life and their career. Their insights can be very inspiring and useful as you follow your own path to greatness.
  5. Practice self-awareness. At the end of each day ask yourself what you could have done better during the day. What were the highs and lows of the day, what were the lessons learnt. This is a great way to become your own coach and manage your self-mastery.

The path to your prosperity is built on your own self-growth and development.

  • Experiment and stay focused on your progress.
  • Keep your eye on the ideal version of yourself.
  • Put in place the steps to get to where you want to go and never stop believing in yourself! You’ve got this my friend!