Some days it’s hard to inspire ourselves, let alone anyone else. But when you sit in that corner office, getting your team to play to their true potential is part of the job. Heck, it’s even more than that, it’s a privilege to be in front of your team, inspiring them to be their best. This isn’t forcing yourself to be someone you’re not. Rather, your role is to make sure you have the right folks in the right seats and that they are prepared to be as successful as they can today, and every day.
That’s not my style
Many might say “that’s just not me, I’m not comfortable in that role.” This doesn’t need to be a cheerleader speech. It should focus on the job at hand, the opportunities that are in front of you, and making sure that everyone is prepared to play their position. You can view it as being a head coach or maybe as the conductor of an orchestra. Both are leading their groups and reading the room along the way.
Player coaches
Just like on a sports team, not all the coaches are on the sidelines. Many companies that I’ve worked with have leaders throughout the company, usually without a title next to their name. They are the floor leaders who lead by example, they teach and coach the less experienced along the way. It could be a sales rep who has achieved success and is willing to do whatever it takes to help build the confidence of their teammates who might be struggling this week. Look around at your business, I’m sure that you could name several without hardly trying. These folks inspire those around them daily.
Pre-game speech
Think about that pre-game speech given in the locker room before the super bowl. That would be very inspiring, wouldn’t it? Well, your team may not be quite ready for the super bowl, but every day is an important game. You should determine whether they are up for the challenge, do they have their heads in the game? One of the side benefits of the speech is reading the team’s body language. Who is present, who is ready to go, and who is going to play their best today?
You may have folks on your staff who, for many reasons, are in the wrong position. They are doing the best that they can, but try as they may, they continue to struggle. As you work to inspire your team, you’ll notice the ones who seem overmatched. You owe it to them, and to the rest of the team to correct the situation. Where else can they contribute? Is there some additional training, or mentoring that could help bring this individual to all-star status? Your job to identify these situations and remedy it.
To wrap this up, we all need to be inspired to perform to our best ability. You might begin by reframing your vision so that everyone can rally around it. It could be a success story with an important client. Or it could be the story of one of your staff who went over the top to help their client be more successful. These stories are around your business all the time. Use them as the oxygen needed to inspire your team to be their best today.
If you have any comments or thoughts as to how you’ve approached these issues, please send me a note, or include them below.
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 advice, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion and helping leaders to reach their full potential. Learn more at www.philiegroup.com, LinkedIn or email at mphilie@philiegroup.com.
Originally published in Printing Impressions.
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