As leaders, one of our key responsibilities is to emotionally engage others in a cause. This “cause” whether at work, home, school, or with any group is typically defined by the goals and ultimate objectives of the organization. Inspiring others to give their all toward any cause is a heavy burden to bear, and it is not for the weak at heart. For leaders to be successful, the first person who needs to be engaged in the work is us!
It is difficult to inspire the dedication and commitment of others if we are not fully committed ourselves. Sometimes, leaders want the benefits of engaged followers without having the willingness to be fully engaged themselves. This hypocrisy will not last as followers see straight through phony and partially engaged leaders. Thus the leader’s capacity to truly inspire is limited. In the end, the commitment level of a leader will be mirrored by his or her followers.
For a leader to be truly engaged, they must evaluate the organization’s mission and objectives. Leaders are able to become most engaged to a cause when the organization’s values match their own, when they have a true belief in the organization’s future, and when the leader understands how they directly influence results. When a leader finds fulfillment in these three areas, they are typically able to fully immerse themselves in the cause and then motivate others to do the same.
As a leader, if we want to do our job successfully, we must earn the confidence and respect of those we lead by being completely engaged and committed ourselves first. As we learn to become engaged in a cause first, we can then inspire others to follow—ultimately leading to outstanding performance and results.
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