Inspiration

Julián Abraham

Country Manager

Bosch Building Technologies

“Purpose, ethics, inspiration, determination and discipline are five key, non-negotiable
components, that must be included in the formula for success of an organization’s leader”

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working” Pablo Picasso.

Why am I still excited about my company?

It is a great responsibility to lead an organization, you must be assertive and do the right thing among many other things, plus you have the personal commitment of wanting to do everything right, at the same time, and the first time. You usually sleep little thinking about how to make the business grow and achieve maximum profitability, because you know that the future of many families depends on your decisions.

I am excited to know that I am positively impacting the organization, society, our customers and suppliers, as well as the environment, but above all, that I am contributing to the personal and professional growth of our employees, and that as a company we are generating jobs and new opportunities, even for those starting their working life, we are touching the lives and hearts of those around us, and that…. That really excites me.

I am excited to be an inspirational leader, an inspirational leader not only tells employees which path to take and what the strategy is, the leader must be an example to follow, must demonstrate his commitment and passion for the purpose of the company in every meeting and in every presentation, both internal and external, and of course in the way he solves problems with customers. The leader’s behavior and commitment should inspire employees to act in the same way he does, happy and productive leader = happy and productive team, it is no wonder that poor directors or managers contribute significantly to disengagement and employee turnover. Employees don’t usually leave their company; they leave their manager or supervisor, happy leaders love what they do and are passionate, positive and decisive in their actions, and most importantly, because they are confident, they come from a sense of abundance rather than a sense of scarcity. When things go wrong, they take responsibility for the mistake, and when things go right, they give credit to their colleagues and collaborators.

As companies have become more global and complex, much of the work is increasingly team-based. A study published in the Harvard Business Review found that “time spent by managers and employees on collaborative activities has soared by 50 percent or more” over the past two decades. The same study found that in many companies, more than three-quarters of an employee’s day is spent communicating with colleagues.

Today’s teams are larger, more diverse, more dispersed and more specialized than ever before, especially now with the COVID19. However, while teams with these characteristics can be super-effective in tackling the challenging problems facing many modern businesses, they can sometimes struggle with one essential aspect of their work: collaboration, hence they must have a leader to guide and inspire them.

Simply put, inspirational and collaborative leadership is the type of leadership necessary for effective and efficient results. A collaborative leader invests time to build relationships, manages conflict positively and constructively, and shares control. In contrast, traditional leadership is more autocratic where the leader takes absolute control over his or her team and makes decisions without consulting team members.

I’m excited to know that I consider myself a collaborative and inspiring leader!

Collaboration is beneficial not only for the leader and the company, but also for the employees. Working collaboratively creates an inclusive environment and a positive atmosphere that allows people to be more creative, daring and strive to achieve goals.

When executives can successfully incorporate collaboration, they create a sense of transparency in work teams. This transparency fosters an environment of openness, trust and comfort that, in turn, allows professionals to freely share different perspectives, voices, opinions and ideas across sectors, a necessary step in the innovation process.

Along with an increase in innovation, studies show that this type of environment also generates a noticeable increase in productivity among employees. Forbes reported that a recent study found that companies that promoted collaborative work were five times more likely to have high performance.

Overall, organizations led by collaborative leaders are likely to develop more agile, innovative and high-functioning teams that can have a positive and lasting impact.

Recognizing the positive impact of collaboration is the first step to becoming a truly collaborative leader.

The ability to inspire is one of the most important leadership skills that separates great leaders from bosses.While there are many good to average bosses, there are only a few leaders who themselves can infuse energy, passion and connection into their actions and behaviors along with a clear vision, mission and commitment to integrity that guides them in everything they do to make their company and environment a better place, the latter are the leaders who positively impact organizations and touch people’s hearts, leaving footprints and not scars.