10 Major Reasons WHY-Inspired Leaders Have Inspired EMPLOYEES (Part 1)

Are you a WHY-inspired leader of your team?

What’s the difference between a leader who knows and lives their WHY and one who does not?

What does it mean to be a WHY-inspired leader of your team?

(Part 2) 10 Major Reasons WHY-inspired Leaders Inspire Their CUSTOMERS

1. WHY inspired leaders are AUTHENTIC.

They know and live their WHY. They know who they are and what they stand for. They are authentic, genuine and real.

When you start with WHY you do what you do, you inspire others.

Great leaders are able to inspire others into action. Great leaders have people following them not because they have to… but because they want to.

2. WHY inspired leaders lead through INSPIRATION not manipulation.

All great leaders have the ability to find good fits for the culture of their business – those who believe what they believe. Starting with WHY makes it easier to hire those passionate for what you believe.

Great leaders show their current team members how they fit into the culture of the business and in so doing inspire them to take up the cause. They encourage their people to do what they’re passionate about and to fully express who they truly are.

They do not motivate through manipulation i.e. bonuses and incentives because eventually that’s the only reason a person comes to work. Bonuses and incentives are rather used as a celebration.

3. WHY inspired leaders challenge the status quo.

Truly living your WHY and being authentic can mean challenging the status quo.

WHY inspired leaders are not afraid of doing that, they are decisive and lead by example.

They know it’s their job to advance the WHY of the company and that it inspires passion in the team members.

When you know your WHY you’re certain about what you believe and you’re motivated to live it.

4. WHY inspired leaders create a culture of TRUST.

They understand getting the right people in the right seat is only the beginning.

No-one likes to be told what to do. A dictatorial environment may get tasks accomplished but it does not build an inspired business where people are self-motivated and willing to improve. It creates low levels of trust.

People feel suppressed and frustrated. Mistrust weakens a business and creates self-serving, rebellious behaviour and people feel forced to take sides.

Great leaders focus on earning and keeping the trust of their employees.

Without trust people will show up to the job but worry only about themselves. Great leaders recognise trust is gained over time. They truly care about their employees’ dreams and hopes.

5. WHY inspired leaders ensure LONG-TERM growth by unifying their team.

They make sure everyone knows the WHY of the business, each person knows their own individual WHY, that they are valued and how they fit into the WHY of the organisation.

Everyone buys into the cause.

Team members start respecting each other and pulling together. Non-WHY inspired leaders look for the latest short-term quick fix and struggle to get their team working together.

6. WHY inspired leaders have ENGAGED, productive employees.

Disengagement is a common and very expensive issue. Such people are there only for the pay check, are there only for themselves and they undermine others.

Simply by knowing their WHY, feeling valued and understanding how essential they are to the business, people become inspired, passionate and engaged, coming in to work early and leaving late – not for the leader, but for themselves.

7. WHY inspired leaders EMPOWER their people.

They empower people by inspiring everyone in their business to take on personal leadership no matter what their rank. Employees are encouraged to make their own decisions and become accountable for the outcome.

They are willing to make decisions because they trust their leader and feel safe and protected.

8. WHY inspired leaders encourage employees to BETTER the company.

An employee who feels safe is willing to try something new and innovative in order to improve the business.

For that to happen a person needs to trust that the leader and company will look out for them. A strong sense of WHY creates a strong culture, a feeling of belonging and being protected.

9. WHY inspired leaders have employees who are able to weather HARD TIMES.

People with a clear sense of WHY are less likely to give up during hard times and can often see opportunity in those difficult times. They are resilient and come to work with a sense of purpose.

10. WHY inspired leaders create a HAPPY, productive environment.

They know happy employees produce more, work harder, have more fun, attract other happy employees and enthusiastically tell the world how happy they are at work.

They ensure their people are constantly reminded WHY the business exists and what it believes.

They know it’s not enough just to write it on the wall.

Summary

To inspire is to “breathe life into”.

To inspire others you have to know your WHY.

A great leader empowers each individual first and gives them a vision which enables them to fully express that power on behalf of the team.

In other words, you make it about them first and show them how valuable and essential they are, how their unique gift contributes to the business as a whole and how nothing meaningful can happen without them.

Then, and only then, will they align with your cause—they will see clearly how their beliefs and what they do fit perfectly in your business.

WHY-infused cultures are exciting, people feel motivated and successful, and it’s a place of trust.

Success is shared and celebrated.

You develop top talent and they want to stay because they believe what you believe.

WHY inspired leaders enjoy peace of mind because they have an inspired, growing business.

The WHY Movement is here.

Want to know more?

Go here, and contact Janet here to WHY-ify your team and business.

References:
The WHY Engine – Ridgely Goldsborough, ESQ
Start with WHY – Simon Sinek