3 Unconventional Ways to Inspire Your Team


When’s the last time that you inspired your team? If you can’t recall, then that’s a problem. Of course, inspiring someone else is sometimes easier said than done. However, in my attempts to inspire my own team, I’ve figured out three strategies to bring out the best in the talent that works with me.

Encourage Self-Development and Happiness

What value will your team members be to themselves or your organization if they don’t continually pursue self-development? In my own experience, working on personal and professional development as well as self-development has made me feel more motivated, enthusiastic, and positive about the projects I take on. Therefore, it only made sense to encourage my team to take their own self-development journeys. Beyond just encouraging them to do it, I also invest in the resources and training that ensures they follow through.

The response has been phenomenal. My team appreciates that I care about their overall development as people as well as their happiness and satisfaction in advancing their careers. As a return on that investment, the team has brought better ideas to the table and increased their productivity. Their enthusiasm and positive approach as they take this journey becomes infectious and helps me as a leader to continue on my own self-development journey.

Make Transparency the Cornerstone of Your Communication

It’s no secret that communication is vital for your business. After all, communication maintains employee engagement, ensures consistency and accuracy, promotes feedback, and keeps everyone on the same page in terms of strategies and goals.

When it comes to effective communication, I’ve found that transparency is the key. I speak openly about the business, our financials, what’s working and what isn’t, and where we are headed. In return, I encourage the same transparency from my employees in terms of creating a culture where they feel comfortable coming to me with anything that is on their minds. Even talking to me about things that are not directly related to the company, but may affect their performance, is encouraged, because it helps me understand and allows them to focus on what they need to accomplish.

In return, I’ve gained their trust. They know I’m not hiding anything and that I’ll listen to what’s on their mind. It inspires them to work that much harder toward achieving our company goals.

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Murray Newlands is an entrepreneur, investor, business advisor and a contributor at Forbes.com and Entrepreneur.com. He is co-founder of Influence People.

BusinessCollective, launched in partnership with Citi, is a virtual mentorship program powered by North America’s most ambitious young thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners.


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