Leaders must inspire. It is essential that a leader performs exceptionally well at a personal level. But that alone is inadequate. He should create synergy and lift his team to a higher plane. 1/n

Take Modi. He ticks all the boxes. Not easy to take a Country of 1.38 Billion people with you

On the Cricket Field Virat Kohli performs exceptionally well at a personal level. But does he inspire his team to perform at a higher level? I have serious doubts. 2/n

Rahul Gandhi neither performs at any level not does he create synergy and lift Congressmen. They are resigned to their fate all the time.

I had an exceptional Regional Manager who was brilliant in his work, and guided and motivated us. One would die for him. 3/n

I was once taking classes in 8th floor when I overheard a conversation between two of my students. One was chiding the other for showing undue respect to me. 4/n

Second student told him that "If Sir asked me to jump from this floor, I shall do so unhesitatingly, knowing that he would not ask me if he had not taken enough precautions in the first place".

It was one of the greatest moment of my life as a Teacher 5/n

Let us look at some of the traits noticed in inspirational leaders in organizations,

Passion for and pride in what they do
Clarity of vision and ability to share it with their people
Strong communication – storytelling and listening
Passion for learning and intense curiosity
6/n

Focus on developing people
Strong self-belief, coupled with humanity and humility
Very strong focus on priorities
Committed to giving something back and to making a significant difference
Dogged determination and often “ relentless” 7/n

Having fun and very energized
Not afraid to show some vulnerability
Regular use of reflective periods
Almost universal dislike of jargon
Ability to share knowledge and develop skills in subordinates
Keeping thing simple
Decisiveness 8/n

It is interesting to note that the list of traits the followers consider is important for an inspirational leader is much shorter,

Genuine shared vision
Real confidence and trust in their teams
Respect for employees and customers 9/n

Commitment to developing people
Clear standards of ethics and integrity
Willingness to take risks
Standing by the Team during Adversity 10/n

The lists are not exhaustive. You may add or delete based on your experience and wisdom

The interesting aspect of these traits is that all of them can be learned/developed/acquired through personal effort. 11/n

Most require just a tweak in your attitude and a determination to master it.

How many of these traits do you have? n/n

PS: A small story. A platoon of soldiers were marching in thick Amazon Forests where trees touched the sky. After a while the Captain asked one of the Sergeants to climb a tree and report their progress. He did, saluted and said "Captain. We are making good progress" PS 1/2

After a while Captain asked another Sergeant to do the same task. He climbed pronto, came down, saluted, and said

"Captain. We are making great progress but....."

"But?....."

"We are Marching in the Wrong Direction"

Whom would you like to have as leader? PS 2/2