The World Needs More Inspiring Leaders

I've experienced a lot of managers (20+) and managerial styles in my career so far. I can easily list off the most inspiring, compassionate and dedicated leaders who I'd chop a limb off for should they ask.

I can just as easily recall the managers that micromanaged and knit-picked, leading to feelings of incompetence, belittlement and insecurity.

While it's true everyone responds differently to different management styles (and we have different preferences), there are certain approaches to managing that change the effectiveness of a manager, by allowing people to feel more engaged, rewarded and aligned with their own goals.

The most successful and empowering leaders are those that assume positive intent, trust in someone's ability to learn and grow in their own unique way, which in turn give rise to dedicated and proactive employees who are willing to contribute their energy and skills for a bigger vision.

Giving people the space they need to problem solve and respond to the situation, leads to engagement and ownership. Coupled with being available to coach and acknowledge individuals' efforts goes a long way to managerial effectiveness - and employee satisfaction.

While a managers world view may strongly determine how they lead people, I believe with the right resources, education and development, the ability to be an inspiring and open minded leader can be learned and embodied by everyone.

With so many people thrust into managerial positions after a few years of 'service' or after being an outstanding individual contributor, I'm sure a lot of us are subject to managers who do not know how to manage or inspire people. The sudden shift to being responsible for people's output can lead to the bad apples that micromanage and knit-pick.

In these cases, unfortunately it's sometimes up to us to educate, give feedback or communicate with leaders, to open their minds.

People want to be inspired and have great leaders who value the humanity of the people they manage and lead. This is how we all grow and get better together.