Courtney Bolton / ©BOE.

…at Harvard Business Review, John Baldoni writes: “Inspiration, as McKinsey describes it, falls under “leadership… so that leaders inspire others and shape their actions.” The word inspiration may confuse, even overwhelm, most managers because they may feel they need to orate like Winston Churchill or lead like Colin Powell. No, inspiration is rooted in personal example. Managers can inspire by putting employees in position to succeed and then by helping them get the work done right in a timely fashion. More importantly, good managers connect with their employees individually to support, coach, and challenge them to succeed. That all adds up to creating a more inspired workplace. Direction, as the McKinsey survey sees it, is “capacity to articulate where company is heading… and to align people properly.” Few managers I know would disagree with that concept, but many will think it is senior management’s job, not theirs. It’s too bad, because alignment (getting people to pull together for the same goals) actually happens on the front lines. It is up to managers to ensure that people understand what is expected of them and how they must execute. That requires good direction.