Leaders must inspire. It is essential that a leader performs exceptionally well at a personal level. But that alone is inadequate. He should create synergy and lift his team to a higher plane.
Messi, Kaka, Ronaldo and Rooney. These four were supposed to be the inspirational leaders of Argentina, Brazil, Portugal and England respectively in this World Cup. But none of them have shown the inspirational leadership that was expected of them. Messi has been efficient at best. If Argentina has performed well, then it is inspite of him. Kaka is easing himself from an injury. He has only shown flashes of brilliance, but has been a pale shadow of the player that he once was. Instead of him carrying the team, it is the team that is carrying Kaka. Ronaldo has been a dud for Portugal. He was virtually incognito in most of the matches, despite having a very good team around him. When they were a goal down against Spain, Ronaldo, instead of lifting his game and thus inspiring his team mates, just faded away. Less said about Rooney, the better. He was a liability for an otherwise woeful England team. One has to only look at the difference Arjen Roebben has made to the Dutch team, when he enters as a substitute or when he started the last 16 match. The team looks totally different when Roebben is in the field. Or for that matter Diego Forlan for Uruguay. He has been magnificient and has carried the team on his shoulders to the Quarter finals.
Let us look at some of the traits noticed in inspirational leaders in organizations,
- Passion for and pride in what they do
- Clarity of vision and ability to share it with their people
- Strong communication – storytelling and listening
- Passion for learning and intense curiosity
- Focus on developing people
- Strong self-belief, coupled with humanity and humility
- Very strong focus on priorities
- Committed to giving something back and to making a significant difference
- Dogged determination and often “ relentless”
- Having fun and very energised
- Not afraid to show some vulnerability
- Regular use of reflective periods
- Almost universal dislike of jargon
It is interesting to note that the list of traits the followers consider is important for an inspirational leader is much shorter,
- Genuine shared vision
- Real confidence and trust in their teams
- Respect for employees and customers
- Commitment to developing people
- Clear standards of ethics and integrity
- Willingness to take risks
The interesting aspect of these traits is that all of them can be learned/developed/acquired through personal effort. Most require just a tweak in your attitude and a determination to master it.
How many of these traits do you have?
