Inspiring Leadership and Employee Engagement Get the Most Out of Your Team

Many of the leaders I’ve known had a way of wearing their emotions on their sleeves. When things were good, you knew it. And when things were bad, well, you knew it for sure. Some might call that having a passion for the business. You might also say that they were inspired to perform to their best ability. But, in the heat of the battle, were the others on the team equally inspired to be their best by that type of behavior?

Just as it’s so easy to get wrapped up in our day-to-day activities, our to-do lists and action items, we often forget to recognize and celebrate our accomplishments. You know, the stuff that actually got done. These can be big or small wins and can occur daily.

When you check in with your sales team, what do you focus on, their activities or their accomplishments? Did you focus on whether or not they dotted every ‘i’ and crossed every ‘t’ in the CRM, or did you focus on the meaningful conversations that they had, enabling a tough prospect to move closer to a positive “yes” decision? And while it may not be a sale yet, those unsung accomplishments represent the behind-the-scenes blocking and tackling that needs to happen in order to ring the bell and win the business in a difficult environment.

These can be the same type of discussions you have with your leadership team. Are you inspiring them and recognizing what they accomplished today, and more importantly, what are they doing in turn to inspire their staff?

My intent is not to advocate some type of softer, kinder, gentler approach to leading the business. Rather, it’s to try to get the most out of your team — to get everyone to play their best. Face it, we read about and experience a level of employee engagement that is much less than desired. With more and more folks simply showing up daily and going through the motions, you have an opportunity to make a difference in your business through your leadership style. Your leadership team also has that opportunity to make a difference in your business with each interaction they have with an employee.

If you’re looking for ways to improve your ability to inspire the team, there are many resources available to help you. Check out your local library, go to “Google” and type in inspired leadership or employee engagement and let the fun begin. Hopefully, this post gives you something to think about. Your comments and ideas are welcome in the comments section. Good luck in your journey and have fun.

Mike Philie can help validate what’s working and what may need to change in your business. Changing the trajectory of a business is difficult to do while simultaneously operating the core competencies. Mike provides strategy and insight to owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry by providing direct and realistic assessments, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion and helping leaders navigate change through a common sense and practical approach. Learn more at www.philiegroup.com, LinkedIn or email at mphilie@philiegroup.com