This year’s SYNNEX North American Conference theme, “Inspire,” has challenged me to examine the qualities of people who are truly inspiring – leaders who live beyond themselves and who constantly inspire others and create positive change. Whether they stand on the world’s stage or are acquaintances of my own, I’ve noticed some common threads that have made them successful in being true inspiration-leaders.
1. They let others share in their limelight
Great leaders have mastered the art of delegation. They accept that they can’t do it all and find people who complement their own skill sets. Most importantly, they let their team members share in their limelight. Last January, I attended Yahoo President and CEO Marissa Mayer’s keynote at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In an hour packed with exciting new platform and product launches, celebrity appearances, and Yahoo’s inspirational outlook for 2014, one of the most powerful tactics Mayer used was letting her own stars shine. As a new service or website was announced, she stepped aside as the owner of that business shared their latest projects on one of the tech world’s biggest stages. It was truly inspiring.
2. They never stop learning
Inspirational leaders are curious by nature. They continually seek new information and skills and are driven to learn more about topics in which they are already well-versed. Knowledge is the force that propels them forward. One of my most-admired college professors truly embodied this attribute in his approach to teaching. The defining factor in his leadership style was that in addition to learning more about his own field, he was constantly learning about other disciplines and applying these findings in the classroom. By weaving in common trends shared between multiple disciplines, he didn’t miss the bigger picture and made sure his students didn’t, either.
3. They see opportunity in every situation
Truly inspirational leaders see opportunity even when they are faced with a major roadblock. If something isn’t working, they take it as an opportunity to implement a new approach. If that approach fails, they try again. One of my favorite quotes by the late Robin Williams embodies this strategy. Williams said, “What’s right is what’s left if you do everything else wrong.”These words speak to the fact that if we keep trying, we’ll eventually get it right. If you look at this process as a series of opportunities instead of a series of problems, your perspective will change dramatically.
4. They’re positive thinkers, and doers
In a world that can seem saturated with more negativity and bad news with every new tweet, newscast, and article, truly inspirational leaders take the road less traveled: They stay positive. They visualize positive outcomes and see the best in every situation. A mentor of mine who truly embodies the power of positive thinking lives by this idea: Turn negative thoughts into positives ones and the result will be a series of positive outcomes. For an approach that may seem extremely simple, the hardest part is applying and living by it. The same mentor affirms that once she made the change, her life was set in a forward motion filled with positive outcomes.
5. They’re effective in getting others to join their cause
Above all, inspirational leaders look beyond themselves, with their ultimate goal being enabling others to accept their call to action and join their cause. One of the most inspirational stories in leadership over the past few years concerns the perseverance of Gabby Giffords. Three years after she was shot in Tucson, the former Arizona congresswoman has become a major force in the fight to end gun violence. No matter how great or small the cause, truly inspirational leaders can take the worst circumstances and turn them into something positive.
With the SYNNEX Conference North American quickly approaching, take a few minutes to examine your leadership style and ask, “How can I be more inspirational?” By adopting just one of the qualities above and testing it out at our conference, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a true inspiration-leader.
— Eliza Bostian, Hughes Agency
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