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"I have a dream", "We shall fight them on the beaches", "Ich bin ein Berliner" are all excerpts from stirring and inspirational speeches aimed at rallying people for a cause, okay the last one is about a jam donut, but Kennedy didn't let that distract him from inspiring the people of West Berlin. The 2011 World of Work report by HR specialist Ranstad found that any employers who can inspire and rally their employees have a greater chance of keeping them, along with engaging them on the company vision and then leading to greater productivity.

The report found more than 30% of employees found their senior management lacking in the skills required to inspire and lead with words. Since the GFC, a change has taken place, where the bunkering down and getting on with surviving the global conditions is taking second place to managers and CEOs having to work to motivate through vision and aspirational speech. Randstand CEO Fred van der Tang says the results signaled a break from the recent past, with the ability to react well during periods of economic instability no longer being foremost on the minds of employees.

Big picture thinking and not the minutiae of the day, is what people are looking for from their leadership teams. Big picture in a way, that give them reasons to feel good about their company, come to work motivated and be a single working unit engaged for the betterment of the company. Some employees noted that the vision of a leader within the company, was the only reason they came to work.
 
So it behoves leaders to work on their profile and feel comfortable about visionary talks because they can have a profound effect upon employees looking for more than doing the end of month reports. Employees want to feel they are contributing to the company vision and that it aligns with their picture of the world with them in it. There are enough distractions in the world that absorb motivation and inspiration, in fact work against them on all fronts, that employers need to think beyond the next quarter results.

Whereas employees are looking to be engaged by powerful words and deeds, employers think their biggest challenges are performance and productivity along with filling vacancies caused by increasing turn over. Interesting to note how the two can be so far apart and all management has to do, is improve one aspect of their style and they could solve two future challenges. A company vision articulated with elegance and credibility could reap rewards if employers have the courage to open up and inspire rather than rely on bottom line adherence.

Are you following a leader at work willing you to a better place or are you just clocking in and doing the uninspired requisite to get you through the day? A tough question and I believe there is a dearth of people willing to stand up and be beacons to their employees.

Ask yourself, are senior management anything like the below?

“I want to put a ding in the universe" - Steve Jobs Apple.

“When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for everyone telling you you’re nuts.” 
- Larry Ellison Oracle.

“Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. But make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice.” - Akio Morita Sony

"Management is nothing more than motivating other people" - Lee Iacocca Chrysler Corporation.

“Take risks. Ask big questions. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; if you don’t make mistakes, you’re not reaching far enough.” - David Packard Hewlett Packard.