We have all been influenced by inspirational leaders in our lives and perhaps you are an inspirational leader yourself. I have been fortunate enough to have worked for and been coached by leaders who were able to not only get my best but, in several cases, more than I thought I was capable of. Why is it that some leaders are able to get the absolute best out of those around them? In the blog Motivating Your Sales Team I wrote that people are not motivated by others they 
are motivated by themselves. Inspirational leaders inspire others to motivate themselves at the very highest level.
I would consider caring about the people you lead as an absolute given so I didn’t list it as a separate trait. With that said, in no particular order, here is my list of what I consider the top three traits of inspirational leaders.
Empathetic- Empathy doesn’t mean sympathy. Inspirational leaders can still make the tough calls when it is called for but also have a unique ability to empathize with their team. They are able to understand what is important to each individual at any given time and create a work environment that is most conducive for personal motivation. In some case that might be empowering team members and in others it may be removing some responsibility at the appropriate time. In the blog Perception is Reality I wrote more about the power of seeing things from the point of view of others.
Great Communicator- Not only are all the inspirational leaders I know great communicators but they are able to communicate in ways that uniquely impact each individual. At times it might be a stern conversation that challenges others to push a little harder and at times it might be a word of public recognition for going the extra mile. Inspirational leaders are able to flex their communication style to fit not only the situation but the individual as well.
Great Story Teller- Inspirational leaders have an amazing ability to tell compelling stories at exactly the right time that inspire others to achieve great things. In the blog The Leadership Imperative I devoted an entire blog to this subject alone. The art of storytelling can captivate the imagination and illustrate a vision in unique ways that others can relate to.
Chuck Terry is the Executive Vice President and CSO of Carew International and is regular contributor to Carew’s blog – Executive Insights
Carew International is a leader in sales training and leadership development; specializing in comprehensive, proven training programs for sales, sales management and customer service excellence. For over 30 years, Carew has earned its reputation of delivering increased productivity and profitability to our valued clients world wide.
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May 2, 2012
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Although the title of the blog might seem like a trick question (two of my favorite blog topics if you are a regular reader) it is inspired by some VERY interesting results recently published from a 2012 survey of Mid-Market companies ($250M to $1B) by Forbes Insights. You can download a copy of the entire report at this Forbes Insight link. The study revealed an upbeat business environment where three out of five executives interviewed stated their firms had grown over the past two years. Almost 72% believe their firms will continue to grow in the future contrary to some of the “doom and gloom” reports being circulated during an election year.
The continued growth the survey predicted is being driven by three strategic priorities that emerged as clear winners in the study in terms of relative importance. Number one was “improving the customer experience” at a whopping 60% (up from 55% in the past 5 years) followed by “optimizing sales force effectiveness” at 47% (up from 45% in the previous 5 years) and “building and retaining a qualified work force” at 46% (down from 49% over the past 5 years). It would appear from the Forbes Insights results that Mid-Market companies are not only recognizing that improving the customer experience is critical to their current growth but also one of the most powerful strategic initiatives that they will focus on over the next 5 years as well.
The Forbes Insight survey also asked the question “What external forces are the likely biggest game changers for your company?” The study revealed the top three answers as the combination of “increased foreign and domestic competition” at 46%, “pricing pressures” at 41% and “decreased customer budgets/ spending” at 36%. While focusing on “great service” may have been the number one strategic initiative a “great sales team” will certainly have their hands full with the top ranked external forces. In last week’s blog, “Is Your Sales Team Communicating Value or Creating It?” the recipe outlined is clearly in sync with overcoming the top “game changing” factors in the survey. The best customer experience in the world is meaningless without a customer but without the commitment to provide the best customer experience your competition will eat you alive. The answer to the title question is undoubtably “no, they are both equally important.”
Chuck Terry is the Executive Vice President and CSO of Carew International and is regular contributor to Carew’s blog – Executive Insights
Carew International is a leader in sales training and leadership development; specializing in comprehensive, proven training programs for sales, sales management and customer service excellence. For over 30 years, Carew has earned its reputation of delivering increased productivity and profitability to our valued clients world wide.
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April 25, 2012
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The other night I was watching TV with my family when one of my boys asked me a homework question I couldn’t answer. We all thought it was pretty cool when SIRI, the voice activated assistant on the IPhone 4S, was able to successfully provide the answer. It was only a few minutes later when an ad for a new Samsung TV came on. The new TV featured the ability to recognize voice commands being given by a young boy in the commercial. Suddenly a strange thought hit me; we are becoming a society that increasingly talks to our machines but not to each other.
It seems almost daily that I talk to a sales manager who laments that it is getting harder to get sales people to pick up the phone. Companies with an 80/20 ratio of e-mail or text to in person or on the phone communication are not uncommon. What is driving that?
In all fairness I think our customers are driving a great deal of it. E-mail is a medium of communication where busy executives and professionals can communicate at their convenience and not the convenience of others. It is much more efficient to get things done by e-mail and the added benefit is busy professionals have a paper trail that is easily added to the CRM system.
I would propose that we still use the convenience of e-mail but use it as a method to schedule calls at mutually convenient times versus using e-mail as a SUBSTITUTE for in-person contact. Step away from the machine and pick up the phone. Better yet, get in a car and meet in person!
Chuck Terry is the Executive Vice President and CSO of Carew International and is regular contributor to Carew’s blog – Executive Insights
Carew International is a leader in sales training and leadership development; specializing in comprehensive, proven training programs for sales, sales management and customer service excellence. For over 30 years, Carew has earned its reputation of delivering increased productivity and profitability to our valued clients world wide.
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April 10, 2012
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are motivated by themselves. Inspirational leaders inspire others to motivate themselves at the very highest level.
