Tag Archives: Visionary Leaders

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The Cries for Inspirational Leadership (Part 1)

Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action is what can change the world ~  Joel Baker

Inspirational Leadership

Partnership

Leadership is perhaps best viewed as a partnership – the partnership between the “leader” and the “led”. The goal of beneficial leadership in this regard would be to facilitate and unlock the potentials of the parties to achieve desired end results. In this context, a good leader is the person that acts as the bridge linking people to their goals through inspired actions. This distinguishes a true leader from a “greeder”. A “greeder” is the person that benefits only at the expense of the people that he or she leads.

There are people today in diverse positions of power, influence and authority who exploit the will, trust and belief of the people they supposedly lead. The often silent but agonising cry of these people for inspirational leadership is often met with more brazen exploitation.

Inspirational Leadership

Personal inspiration rather than mere motivation is what makes the leader stand out. Inspiration is far superior to motivation. It is a process that is spirit-induced and heart-controlled. It is revolutionary in concept and dynamic in approach. An inspired person is energised, enthusiastic and so passionate about his convictions that he is perpetually restless and tireless in pursuit of his goals.

I remember once asking a class during a coach-training session if well known transformational leaders like Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and Bill Gates, among several others were inspired or merely motivated to do what they are recorded to have done? There was not one person in the class that was not convinced that these leaders were personally inspired.

Inspired Leaders Make Lasting Impact

Many scientists, writers, politicians, entrepreneurs, philosophers, entertainers, artists, teachers and others that make lasting impact in the lives of others and in their communities have been personally inspired to do so. Each of them has through some personal ingenuity made the world a better and happier place for others, because there has been a massive and irresistible personal drive to make a lasting impact. Personal inspiration is a hallmark of true leadership.

Strength from within

You cannot stop a truly inspired leader or even try to put him down, because he is propelled by forces of stronger convictions within him than all the negativism around him. That is why true personal inspiration is the key to successful leadership. A leader that is not personally inspired often ends up being the puppet of other people.

The Next Generation

A challenge of leadership succession and ascension is that some entrenched systems do not often favour the emergence and sustenance of truly inspired leaders. As a result, the transformation that the people earnestly desire continues to elude them.

Tell me what you think about Inspirational Leadership by leaving a comment below.

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Without a Follower there is no Leader

I sat down with some friends over coffee and the discussion quickly moved on to the topic of leadership, and someone defined leadership as taking the lead and having people follow you. This got me thinking, not about the leader but the follower who has put his or her trust in the leader in the hope of getting to a particular destination.

Leaders and Followers

Without a follower, there is no Leader.

Without followers, there can be no leaders. The leader is the person in the group who has decided on the direction and destination and has inspired, convinced and motivated the others to follow. Followers agree to be led and thus give credibility to leadership.

“Followership, like leadership, is a role and not a destination.” – Michael McKinney

More than at any time in the past, the world needs leaders. We need good, strong and visionary leaders.

However, most of us are followers. In fact all of us whether we consider ourselves leaders or not will at some time play the role of follower. There will be times where in one setting such as your department or team, you are the numero uno.  In another setting for example at corporate level you have to diligently follow another.

You are your number one follower.

To lead others, you must be the leading influence in your life. You need to have direction, goals or objectives you want to accomplish. Your success in achieving your goals will depend on your ability, discipline and commitment to follow through on your decisions.

You the leader are thus your number one follower. You set examples for others to follow, you show by your disciplined action what it means to be committed to a vision and you model the change that you want to see in others. To be a good leader you must know how to follow.

3 things to make you a good follower.

1. Get the job done. To lead and follow effectively, you need to get the job done. It is your responsibility to get the job done. Don’t hang around waiting for instructions. You may be the boss in your other role but here you are required to follow.

2. Grow yourself as a person. To be continually effective as a follower, you must grow and up skill yourself. As your organization grows from five to five thousand employees, you as a follower will need to have grown into a person capable of leading ten, hundred and eventually a thousand.

3. Serve your leader. This is not a very popular word. As a follower, it is important that you take the weight off your leader. Make his or her job easier by not being a clog in the wheel. Put in your best effort at accomplishing vision.

Serve with Diligence

The challenge for you as you progress on your leadership journey is to commit your time energy and other resources to serve diligently wherever you find yourself in the role of a follower. In so doing, you will make your own leadership much more effective and enjoyable for yourself and for your followers.

Question: What makes it difficult to serve?