Inspiring Leadership

By Charmaine Grant  – Head of Relationship Management (QLD & NT),

Institute of Managers and Leaders

I believe that Inspiration is an important leadership trait, it’s fuelled by passion and purpose which is different to motivation which is driven by results.

Maya Angelou who was an American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
I think about this statement when I am thinking about who I am as a leader, I believe that my role as a leader is to inspire my team through my own actions and words. My ability to encourage commitment and engagement is the foundation for our organisations ongoing and continuous success.

To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible!

I wanted to share with you, how I feel I inspire –

1. I lead by example, I demonstrate my commitment and passion to what our organisation is doing and bringing to society in every meeting, presentation I do or how I handle interactions with our clients/members. This behaviour is inspiring my team to act the same way.
2. I show my team that I care, I’m creating a work environment in which my team feel important and appreciated. Creating opportunities to provide rewards, recognition and as simple as saying ‘THANK YOU’.
3. Communicating the big picture of our organisations WHY on a regular basis, my passion for our organisations vision and mission enables my team to also feel passionate and to also feel that their work has a purpose.
4. I am listening to my team, allowing them to share their thoughts, feedback and ideas. This is creating the action plans and goals we want to achieve.
5. Teams need to feel included, inclusion goes beyond just listening or providing/receiving feedback. Teams need to feel connected to the actions and processes leading to the accomplishment of their goals and achievements of the outcomes which are required.
6. To feel inspired by me as a leader, my team need to trust and believe in me. Who I am as a person is as important as the guidance and support I provide. I want my team to be able to look up to me, a person who is truthful, does the right thing and always aims to do my best. Believing in my integrity and see my actions in the decisions I make that impact both our customers and team.

If my actions are inspiring my team to dream more, learn more, do more and become more than I’m truly becoming an inspirational leader. As leader, we must envision the future, believe passionately that we can make a difference and inspire our teams to achieve more than they ever thought or dreamed was possible.

My note to remember today and every day is that ‘You are your ONLY limit’.

Charmaine Grant

Head of Relationship Management – Queensland & Northern Territory
Institute of Managers and Leaders

Charmaine has the opportunity each day to empower and inspire her team, members and communities to be better managers and leaders.

After many years of travelling the world and settling in Sydney working in Events and Communications, Charmaine relocated to the Sunshine State to be closer to her family 4 years ago and it was the best thing she has ever done.