Inspiration is the other aspect for consideration regarding the theme of my last two columns that featured "communicating a shared vision, and inspiring others to achieve it"-my preferred definition of leadership.
Communicating and developing the shared vision are important, but they cannot win the battle without inspiration. Every business wants to have fully-engaged employees who give their best efforts toward their work. Unfortunately, too many of us have dealt with employees or co-workers who are completely uninspired in their jobs, people who have no energy, no vision, and no motivation. Their negativity becomes infectious, creating a spiral of inefficiency and poor morale.
There is a way to provide inspiration within your business. The most basic and fundamental human motivation is the desire to belong to a group that provides purpose, identity, and meaning. This is why we join associations, churches, civic groups, and other organizations. Interestingly, this also is why so many people are dissatisfied with their jobs. Employees are unhappy when they do not feel that their purpose is aligned with their employers' or that their work is meaningful or that they find fulfillment in their work.
You can inspire your employees when you show them how your business can provide a sense of purpose, identity, and meaning. We spend more time at work than any other thing we do each week, so it makes sense to find meaning in our work.
Find a way to show your employees that their work has a purpose, that it aligns with their identity, and that it provides a sense of meaning, and you will be well on your way to inspiring them to achieve that shared vision. By building upon the innate desire to belong, you can create an organization in which your employees can find purpose, identity, and meaning in their work.
