Good leaders create inspiring moments
By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury
Consistency in the day-to-day requirements of leadership is essential, but the best leaders also know how to intentionally create moments that inspire, engage, drive imagination, and have an impact that far outlasts the moment itself. In a recent reading of The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (2017), I was fascinated by the dynamics that allow certain experiences to have an extraordinary impact upon our lives as humans and leaders within an organization.
Leadership moments matter, and they cannot be artificially created. They must stem from leaders who learn from life journeys and who remain authentic (Luthans, Avey, Avolio, & Peterson, 2010). Authentic leadership is “the result of combining your personal and professional identities into an integrated whole, allowing you to rise up and adapt to new challenges while still being true to yourself” (Her New Standard, 2023). Good leaders bring their whole selves to the people they lead and the challenges they face with creativity and humility, which in turn can inspire others and bring life to an organization.
Listening
Defining moments are an important part of the leadership experience, but they can be hard to recognize when one is in the midst of such a moment. It should not be surprising that the first prerequisite to discerning an opportunity to create a leadership moment is listening. To be a good communicator is to be a good listener. It is absolutely fundamental to true leadership. (Wooll, 2021). Listening leads to relationships built on trust and a shared sense of loyalty. Inviting employees to share honestly and asking thoughtful questions to increase understanding indicates that a leader has others’ best interests at heart (Llopis, 2013). Leaders should consider listening to be their “full-time job,” as it helps them identify when a moment is needed to make a change, inspire, or simply to tell a story.
Engage
Good listening inherently requires a response from the leader. Actively engaging with people helps generate understanding and accountability. When leaders hold themselves accountable to follow-up with employees on what they have shared, “they will know that you are listening, paying attention and attempting to understand what matters most to them” (Llopis, 2013). This understanding helps build relationships. Research in the field of social psychology increasingly shows that leaders who “prioritize relationships with their employees and lead from a place of positivity and kindness” are more successful leaders in every sense of the word (Seppälä, & McNichols, 2022). Strong relationships must not be left to chance, but instead are a “matter of choice” (Zimmerman, 2016). Leaders can take positive action to build healthy relationships built on trust.