Unpacking The Practical Implementation Of 5 Inspirational Leadership Quotes – Part Two

A business will rise and fall on the quality of its leadership. More than ever, business owners are beginning to understand the benefits of strong people leadership—especially as it pertains to improving employee engagement, productivity, and retention through genuinely caring for employees.  

In Part Two of our blog series, here are our selection of the second three well-known quotes from business leaders on various aspects of quality leadership with practical applications for each.  

Inspirational quote #4 

“If you look at history, innovation doesn’t come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect.” 

Steven Johnson—Early Internet inventor, technology entrepreneur, and philanthropist.  

How? 

Innovation requires collaboration because this allows individuals to combine diverse perspectives, skills, and experiences to create something greater than the sum of its parts. In the same way, a collaborative team is one that accomplishes more together than the individual team members could on their own. Here are 3 ways a leader can create a work environment where ideas will connect: 

• Make collaboration a company value: It is essential to establish that collaboration is important to the company’s success and that of every team member – and to lay out how the team will get there. Create guidelines and provide platforms and tools for your team to communicate and work together.  

• Invite co-creation: Co-creation means building and implementing an idea together, not working towards a goal separately or in silos. Do not just stipulate that team members should work together on a project. Rather pave the way by holding brainstorming and review sessions that foster discussion and open the door to diverse opinions or even disagreement. 

• Build time for team bonding: Teams that get to know each other both inside and out of work know each other better. The outcome of this deeper understanding and camaraderie is that when they are collaborating on a project they can communicate more easily and collaborate more effectively. 

Inspirational Quote #5 

“Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.” 

Sam Walton—American businessman and founder of Walmart 

How? 

A positive self-image goes together with productive behaviour. When employees lack self-esteem they lack confidence. This prevents them from putting their developed strengths to the best use – and they are likely to lack the growth mindset needed to cultivate new skills and abilities. Here are 3 ways to develop your employee’s self-esteem:  

• Give positive feedback and reinforcement: Your employees are not always aware of their strengths. It is important to notice and acknowledge positive qualities. Praise and reward employee effort and achievement when progress is made and celebrate everyone’s milestones within the team.  

• Build on employee accomplishments: When acknowledging an accomplished goal or reviewing the success of a project, take time to discuss employee roles and their professional goals with each team member. Then, support them as they pursue the next step or position in their career.  

• Respond to mistakes with appropriate encouragement: Mistakes are an inescapable part of learning. Every problem is an opportunity for learning and improvement. Encourage your employees to see mistakes from a point of ownership and progress rather than failure. When mistakes happen, give employees the means and information they need to fix the problem, then move forward.  

Inspirational quote #6 

“A good leader doesn’t get stuck behind a desk” 

Richard Branson—English business magnate best known for co-founding the Virgin Group in 1970. 

How? 

Leading from behind your desk guarantees that you will be out of touch with what happens on the floor in your company. It will result in your decisions being based on clinical data or secondhand information. Making decisions without knowing, first-hand, what is happening at the heart of the company can be detrimental to your business. Here are 3 ways to lead “from the floor” rather than t from behind your desk: 

• Look beyond the numbers: Business today is operated in a data-driven marketplace – a world that allows companies to make more accurate, data-driven decisions. However, when it comes to your employees, you cannot treat them as a number or a cog in a wheel, because salary alone is not enough to keep employees motivated. People need to feel inspired. 

• Be a visible leader: Visible leadership goes beyond having an open-door policy. It hinges on being present, engaged, and actively involved with your team. When you are visible you regularly spend time with, communicate and have a genuine impact on your team.  

• Be ready and willing to talk and listen: Providing time and space for discussion – finding ways to involve your team and listening to their ideas and concerns – sends a powerful message that you value them and that their contributions matter. When employees feel valued, they are more likely to be engaged in their work and ready to go the extra mile.  

There are so many ways in which strong people leaders can have a profound impact on employee performance, ranging from boosting morale and engagement to nurturing creativity and innovation. With the right people managers in place, employees have someone they can turn to for support, motivation, and inspiration. To do this, a strong leader will ensure they are visible “on the floor,” engaging with employees on a regular basis and inspiring them to play their part in the company’s overall success. 

Over to you for sharing your comments and experiences.