Leading the Way

05

Inspire

Inspiration is the one talent all leaders need to learn, claims Virgin boss Richard Branson. Given his own record, he surely knows something about how it’s done.¹ We want inspiration from our leaders because it gets our juices flowing and makes us excited, keen to participate and add our own contribution. Sadly, few leaders manage to inspire, so it is no wonder many employees fail to perform at their best.

So what exactly do we mean by inspiration? In essence, it’s a feeling – an experience that in some way moves people emotionally. This emphasis on emotion partly explains why some business leaders shy away from exploring their ...