The Three Leadership Traits That Inspire Teams and Drive Success

Great leaders aren’t just visionaries- they know how to connect with and inspire their teams. While many traits contribute to strong leadership, two stand out as essential: simplicity and gratitude.

What makes a leader truly inspiring? Columbia Business School professor Adam Galinsky, author of Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others, breaks it down into three essential behaviours: vision, leading by example, and mentoring.

One of the most powerful takeaways from Galinsky’s research is the Leader Amplification Effect—the idea that every signal a leader sends is magnified, whether intended or not. He explains:

"As leaders, our emotions are really powerfully infectious. If we are calm and courageous in a crisis, others feel calm. But if we get anxious, that ratchets up the panic in others."

In a recent Harvard Business Review Podcast episode, Columbia Business School’s Adam Galinksy provided data-backed insights into what makes an inspirational leader, and what makes a leader people want to avoid.

Clear, straightforward communication helps teams stay focused and aligned, while genuine appreciation fosters motivation and trust. Mastering these two qualities can transform your leadership style, strengthen team performance, and create a workplace where people thrive. Here’s how you can put simplicity and gratitude at the heart of your leadership approach.

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The Power of Simplicity in Leadership

Simplicity in leadership involves distilling complex ideas and strategies into clear, understandable, and actionable insights. This clarity enables teams to focus on what truly matters, reducing confusion and aligning efforts toward common goals.

Enhancing Communication. Leaders who embrace simplicity communicate their vision and expectations without unnecessary jargon or ambiguity. This straightforward approach ensures that all team members, regardless of their background or expertise, grasp the objectives and their roles in achieving them. Clear communication minimises misunderstandings and fosters a culture of transparency.

"Frank Flynn at Stanford has showed is that we are 10 times more likely to judge our leaders harshly if they under communicate than they over communicate. And when people under communicate, we also think they don’t care. So it gets to the mentor aspect, and if they over communicate, we think they care. Anytime we’re going to a period of turmoil, we just want to hear someone speak and give us a sense of understanding." - Adam Galinsky, Columbia Business School

Facilitating Decision-Making and Building Trust Through Simplicity. In an era where information overload is commonplace, the ability to simplify data and focus on key metrics is invaluable. Leaders who can identify and prioritise essential information empower their teams to make informed decisions swiftly, enhancing productivity and responsiveness.

Simplicity breeds trust. When leaders present information and strategies transparently, they demonstrate honesty and integrity. This openness encourages team members to reciprocate with trust and commitment, strengthening the overall cohesion of the organization.

Promoting Agility. Simplified processes and clear priorities enable organizations to adapt more readily to changing circumstances. Leaders who focus on the essentials allow their teams to pivot efficiently when necessary, maintaining a competitive edge in fluctuating markets.

The Transformative Impact of Gratitude in Leadership

Gratitude, often perceived as a personal virtue, holds profound implications in the realm of leadership. Expressing genuine appreciation can transform organisational culture, enhance employee engagement, and drive overall success.

Fostering a Positive Work Environment. Leaders who regularly express gratitude create a workplace atmosphere characterised by positivity and mutual respect. This environment boosts morale, reduces stress, and encourages collaboration among team members. As noted by the Center for Creative Leadership, gratitude at work helps increase productivity and creates a more engaged workforce. 

Enhancing Employee Engagement and Retention. Employees who feel appreciated are more likely to be engaged and committed to their work. Gratitude acknowledges their contributions, reinforcing their value within the organisation. This recognition not only motivates individuals but also reduces turnover rates, as employees are more inclined to remain in supportive environments.

In the Harvard Business Review Podcast Adam Galinsky discussed the power of CEOs taking simple, repeatable steps - even in very large companies - to acknowledge individuals, and the gratitude they received back from a simple email was incredible.

"The one thing that we can do is we can daily reach out to someone and just compliment them when they’ve done a really good job. And be specific. I was talking to – this all started with a president of a bank with 1,200 employees, and he would send a birthday note to each person, 1400 people. That’s like five emails a day, every day, the whole year. But he incorporated it into his morning coffee and it’s very simple. He’ll say something like, “Happy birthday. How did bowling go with your family this weekend?” And then the people write a novel back and he said, this really helps him. He did this to reach out and let people know how much he cared about them to make them feel good about their day." Adam Galinsky said.

Adam continued, "but it makes him feel good too when he gets these responses back. And then I was talking to, I was telling this to another CEO, and they told me that they started to do that every day. They would send over their coffee, they would send a compliment or gratitude to someone in their organisation, and they were very specific like, “Hey, I just want to let you know you knocked that presentation out of the park last week. I was just thinking about that this morning.” And he said that he gets these joyous responses back. He did that to put a spring in their step, but it puts a spring in his step and it makes them feel more inspired to go to work and to inspire more people. And so you can really see this virtuous cycle of inspiration when you can reach out to people and inspire them. You get inspiration back, you reap what you sow, and that’s how you make the world a more inspiring place."

Encouraging Personal and Professional Growth. Grateful leaders often adopt a growth mindset, recognising and celebrating improvements and efforts. This perspective encourages continuous learning and development, as team members feel supported in their endeavors to enhance their skills and performance. Research highlighted in Forbes reveals that grateful leaders are humble and possess a growth mindset, which positively influences their teams.

Strengthening Relationships and Collaboration. Expressing gratitude strengthens interpersonal relationships within teams. It fosters a culture where individuals feel safe to share ideas, take risks, and collaborate effectively. This sense of psychological safety is crucial for innovation and problem-solving. The Housing Wire emphasises that leading with gratitude can transform leadership, inspire teams, and create a culture of trust, empowerment, and success.

Integrating Simplicity and Gratitude into Leadership Practices

While simplicity and gratitude are powerful individually, their integration can profoundly amplify a leader's impact.

Clear and Appreciative Communication. When conveying messages, leaders should aim for clarity and conciseness, ensuring that the core message is easily understood. Coupling this with expressions of appreciation—for the team's efforts, achievements, or adaptability—reinforces the message and strengthens morale.

Streamlined Recognition Programs. Develop simple yet meaningful recognition programs that celebrate employee achievements. Avoid overly complex reward systems; instead, focus on personalised acknowledgments that resonate with individuals. This approach ensures that gratitude is perceived as genuine and heartfelt.

Simplifying Processes with Appreciation. When implementing new processes or changes, acknowledge the team's flexibility and resilience. Expressing gratitude for their adaptability not only eases transitions but also reinforces a culture that embraces continuous improvement.

Leading by Example. Leaders should model the behaviours they wish to see. By consistently demonstrating simplicity in decision-making and communication, alongside regular expressions of gratitude, leaders set a standard for the entire organisation to emulate.

Challenges, Considerations and Overcoming Complexity Bias. While the benefits of simplicity and gratitude are evident, leaders may encounter challenges in embodying these qualities.

There is a common misconception that complex solutions are superior. Leaders must consciously counteract this bias, recognising that simplicity often leads to more effective and sustainable outcomes.

Ensuring Authenticity in Gratitude. Insincere expressions of gratitude can be detrimental, leading to distrust and disengagement. Leaders must ensure their appreciation is genuine, specific, and timely to truly resonate with their teams.

In high-pressure environments, expressing gratitude may be overlooked. Leaders should cultivate habits, such as regular reflections or gratitude journaling, to maintain a focus on appreciation.

Balancing Simplicity with Comprehensive Understanding. While simplicity is valuable, leaders must also ensure they fully understand the complexities of situations to avoid oversimplification, which can lead to oversights and inadequate solutions.

The Final Word

Ultimately, leadership isn’t about a perfect track record; it’s about recognising when we’re inspiring versus infuriating and making small, intentional shifts in our behaviour.

The leaders who have the biggest impact aren’t always the most charismatic but they are the ones that understand leadership is about asking other people to lift, and getting them to go above and beyond. Communicating a clear vision, demonstrating gratitude and connecting with people in personal ways are excellent ways to lift a company's performance one, inspirational, conversation at a time.

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