After over three decades of research and inquires, James M. Kouzes & Barry Z Posner, in their book – “Credibility, How Leaders Gain & Lose it”, concluded that the attributes and characteristics that followers are looking for, demanding and expecting from leaders have not change. Though the order of priority may have changed slightly, the core elements remain the same. These elements are: Integrity, Competence, Inspiring, and Forward looking.
These four fundamentals are like the four cardinal points of a compass that must guide the life and conduct of a leader in order to enjoy a life-long relationship and fellowship of followers. In examining these four characteristics, one of the cogent discoveries is that the four must be present and fully functioning at the same time in a leaders’ life in order to enjoy an all-round success in whatever they do or lead. To have one of them out creates an in-balance, to have two out of joint is instability and to have three out of line is disaster. These four are like a chain, they interlink and give each other strength and life. They are the road maps that a leader must learn, understand and follow in all affairs to command and continuously enjoy the loyalty and respect of their followers. Let us look deeper into one of these four points.
Inspiring
An inspiring leader stimulates or arouse the mind, feeling, reaction and decision of the followers towards a specific or an usual activity or creativity. To inspire, is perhaps one of the unspoken qualities that followers are looking for in their leaders and the reason it is not an ‛in your face’ type of demand is because it is usually required or demanded after the decision to follow has been made. Unlike the other attributes which in most cases are pre-requisite to command or enjoy follower-ship, inspiration as a leadership quality is an afterthought or after effect.
Leaders are usually regarded, and rightly so as people with the sixth sense, the wind behind, the reserve power or energy that will give the followers that extra nudge to finish and finish well. This is when an inspiring leader makes all the difference. The most powerful way to inspire at this time is not just getting the follower to the finishing line, but to leave longer lasting memory of how it is done.
How can a leader inspire followers?
Look out for part two of our series by Tunde Disu.
Tunde Disu is the CEO of Established Word Ministries, an international multi-dimensional organisation dedicated to training people to maximise their God-given potential. An accomplished entrepreneur with over fifteen years of experience in the business and finance sector, he is also the founder of ‘The Elisha Project’, a program designed to help churches, leaders and volunteers build operational systems to successfully grow and manage their ministry and organisation.
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