2.1: Characteristics of Inspirational Leadership

Many people think only of inspirational leadership when they think of leadership. In fact, as we go through this class, we will see that there are several types of leadership, and each has its crucial role to play. Inspirational leadership is not more important than the others, but it is often the most visible to people outside of a movement, so it is the style that we often think of first.

Social change doesn't happen without people developing strategies, keeping people engaged, taking care of logistics, and ensuring that the group stays on track with its intended values. When people think about the civil rights movement in the US in the 1950s and 1960s, they often think of Martin Luther King Jr, and suppose that the movement happened because of him. But the movement was very well developed before King came along and continued after he was assassinated in 1968. The legendary organizer, Ella Baker, argued that the movement made King as much as King made the movement. King was swept to prominence by a large and dynamic movement, which fostered his leadership and pushed him to fame. His ability to inspire crowds and speak to the country was just one part of a large complex process of making change happen.  

An inspirational leader is one who moves others to action. They give people a sense that getting involved and taking action will make a difference. Often, an inspirational leader is someone who has a strong sense of justice, of the difference between right and wrong, which they are able to communicate to others. They also often have a vision of a better world that they are fighting for. If an organization doesn’t have strong inspirational leadership, it can lose energy. Inspirational leaders often keep people passionate about their work.  

Inspirational leaders are often charismatic as people. People tend to listen to them and take their ideas seriously. Sometimes these are people with big personalities who take up a lot of other people’s attention. But there are also quiet inspirational leaders who move others by their example and by the rightness of what they say and do. Union organizers call these “natural leaders.” When a union organizer goes to a worksite to figure out who to invest their time trying to recruit, they will ask people who they see as a natural leader. This doesn’t mean that this person was born with those skills. But it does mean that their leadership feels natural to others. 

The charisma of inspirational leaders comes from many places. It could be that this person speaks from their heart in ways that lead other people to trust them and to trust their vision. It could be that the person speaks in a way that resonates with other people's fears, desires, or pain. It could be that this person has a sense of optimism and of where it is useful to put the group’s attention. Some inspirational leaders are very good at speaking, either by finding the right words or by speaking in a style that has just the right pauses, emphasis, and body language. Maybe people believe what a person says because they say it with confidence. 

Some of those sources of charisma are better reasons to follow an inspirational leader than others. If a leader speaks to people’s resentments and fears, they might not be a good person to follow. If a person is charismatic because they have confidence, but there isn't substance to back that confidence up, they might lead people in the wrong direction. Inspirational leadership should always be looked at carefully to make sure that the leader is taking people down the right path and that they exercise their leadership with integrity. 

Even with these concerns, a leader who channels the passions of a group, keeps people motivated, keeps them inspired, and on track for the work is a gift to an organization.

You can develop your inspirational leadership by:

• Checking in with yourself and staying connected to the reasons the work you’re doing matters to you and to the people and things you care about. 
• Developing and keeping in mind a bigger vision of why the work you are doing matters. 
• Practicing speaking to others in ways that show your passion and vision. 
• Working on developing your confidence and your ability to communicate your sense of the importance of what you are working on.

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Reading Response Questions:

Please reflect on this reading by writing a short response to these questions. Your answer can include personal experience, and the writing does not need to be formal or polished. You are welcome to write as little as a sentence and as much as a paragraph. Think of it like journaling. 

1. Who is a leader you have worked with who you have found inspiring?
2. What about them inspired you?
3. If you were to try to inspire others what would it be about?
4. Is there anything you don’t like about inspirational leadership?
5. What gets in the way of you exercising inspirational leadership? 
6. What would help you be better at it?