How Leaders Can Inspire Those Around Them
From Carly Johnson, VP, Group Director of Strategy, NA, Momentum Worldwide
In this day and age, it takes a special kind of leader to rise above the challenges that face them. Inflation, mental health concerns and initiatives around DEIBA all require careful consideration and understanding for true progress to be made. But what exactly makes someone an effective leader or icon?
The terms leader, icon and even influencer, while often meaning different things, really have one thing in common: they are people that you want to follow.
Despite the complexities of our world, it’s quite simple; those that are followed put others before themselves. They possess the emotional intelligence to treat people like humans, the authenticity to lead by example and the courage to make the tough decisions even when they don’t want to.
Another integral part of effective leadership is being open-minded enough to recognize that not all solutions are one-size fits all; sometimes unconventional approaches are needed for meaningful progress to be achieved. Leaders should strive not only for consensus but also creative problem-solving which will bring about beneficial changes over time.
The best leaders see growth as growing those around them, celebrating the individual and collective wins. They have an unrelenting desire for their people to succeed and a passion to empower those around them to reach new heights.
Strong leaders must always prioritize collaboration and diversity within their teams as well as outside partners or stakeholders, as appropriate. These individuals bring unique perspectives that can help inform better decisions than those made by any single person. Additionally, embracing inclusion helps build trust among team members while also promoting greater respect between different groups of people—key components toward achieving true success, both professionally and personally!
And, finally, if your team won’t walk through fire for you, then what are you actually doing?
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Carly Johnson, VP, Director of Strategy, NA, Momentum Worldwide. Carly is the regional lead across Chicago and St Louis for a number of Momentum’s Commerce clients. Throughout her 10-year tenure with Momentum, she has built a reputation for developing thoughtful, insight-based strategies for brands like P&G, Coca-Cola, Chobani, Energizer, Bacardi, Constellation brands, Walmart and Samsung.