What’s the difference between leaders who inspire ahigh level of employee engagement and ones who struggle to getpeople to do the bare minimum their jobs require?

The secret lies in knowing how to lead from the heartoutwards.

Successful leaders inspire their team by communicatingtheir vision in a way that generates excitement and motivatesothers to jump on board with full commitment. They recognizepotential in their people, coach their team members to go above andbeyond, and routinely acknowledge others’ positive contributions.And while they demand accountability from the people they lead,they also hold themselves accountable for their performance aswell.

Here are some heart-centered tips on how to boost employeeengagement in your company and create a culture of success:

1. Know your own strengths and weaknesses

If you want to lead others, first you mustunderstand yourself. When you have a clear sense of yourown strengths and weaknesses – and the impact your behavior has onothers – your ability to engage others will improve.

For example, let’s say you’re not a graphic designer. Why imposeyour ideas on the company brochure when you can delegate thisresponsibility to someone who will do a much better job thanyou?

Or maybe you’re an introvert who hates making sales calls toclients. Why not hand that task over to an extrovert who’s beenblessed with the “gift of gab” and speaks in a way that makes otherpeople want to listen to him or her?

Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses gives you the abilityto discern when your skills will add value – or not – andkeeps you open to delegating and listening to people with otherpoints of view.

2. Inspire them with a clear, compelling, continuousvision

To engage your employees and motivate them to work tirelesslytoward achieving a goal, you must first have a clear and compellingvision of the future. What will you and your team ultimate achieve?By when? What will everyone gain when the goal is reached? Is ithonorable, beneficial, ethical, and uplifting? What’s so compellingabout it? What else will also be achieved as your team is strivingfor this major goal?

To inspire maximum employee engagement, you’ll also need toarticulate who your team will become as they learn and grow on thepath to achieving your vision. They must be able to see themselvesin the future as better, smarter, stronger, more valued, and moreconfident. Defining that outcome in a way that resonatesemotionally with your team should be a key part of your vision.

Finally, your belief in your vision must be unshakable. You mustbelieve it’s not only possible, but desirable, essential, andinevitable. And you must communicate this belief with absolutecertainty. Only then will you inspire the employee engagement inyou need to make your vision a reality.

3. Listen for possibility

Once your employees have bought into your vision, be sure toreally listen to them, not only to hear their thoughts and input,but also to make sure they feel heard. People want to know theymake a difference and that their insights and opinions matter.

As you listen, focus on remaining present in the moment andbeing curious to hear other options. That’s when you’ll be able tohear what’s really being said – the unspoken and well as thespoken – and create a true dialogue with your team, instead ofsimply delivering orders or explaining the game plan.

This kind of listening requires a willingness to be transformedby what you hear. It requires you to shift your focus fromlistening for “the right way or the wrong way” to listening forwhat is possible.

I call this approach “listening for possibility.” Whenyou truly listen and are open to all input and ideas, itallows you to co-create new approaches, new outcomes and newbenefits from the ideas that you hear and gives your employees thefreedom and ability to help shape your path in ways that you alonewould not have foreseen.

And that kind of active participation is what will make thembecome even more motivated to help you make your vision areality.

Come back for more ways on how to boost employee engagement andcreate a culture of success in your agency!