Many executives tell me they want to be more inspiring to their teams. When I ask what that means, they describe leaders who are charismatic, eloquent, visionary—basically, they’re describing a movie president giving a rousing speech.

Here’s the good news: that’s not what your people actually need.

Real inspiration isn’t about grand gestures or TED Talk-worthy speeches. It’s about showing up in ways that help people do their best work. And you can start this week.

What Doesn’t Work

Research on transactional leadership—the command-and-control, carrot-and-stick approach—shows it maintains structure but doesn’t inspire long-term performance. One recent study found that work motivation and job satisfaction significantly boost employee performance, while transactional leadership shows no significant effect. Why? Because it creates compliance, not commitment.

People don’t need you to manage them harder. They need you to lead them differently.

Six Ways to Inspire (That Actually Work)

1. Share your values

Your team needs to know what you stand for—how you think about fairness, how people should be treated, what matters when decisions get hard. You don’t need to agree on everything, but people respond when they know that at your core, you share a sense of what’s right.

2. Let them know what you believe

This isn’t about vision statements. It’s about helping people understand how you make decisions, what you prioritize, and why you’ve chosen this path. When leaders show they care about something beyond the numbers, research shows employees become more interested in caring about their work too. Predictability isn’t boring—it’s grounding.

3. Tell them they’re capable

Do two things here: First, let people lean into their strengths. The highest-performing teams spend 70% of their time doing work that energizes them—activities they have natural talent for and that leave them energized, not drained. Second, make sure they know YOU believe in them. It’s remarkable how much confidence comes from knowing someone higher in the power structure has faith in you.

4. Give them something to belong to

There’s a reason militaries wear uniforms and march together—belonging helps us do hard things. People thrive when they know their role and how they’re contributing to the bigger mission. Make the “we” tangible.

5. Provide clarity

People respond to knowing what the goal is and what’s expected of them. There’s no energy in drifting. When we have a roadmap and know what outcomes we’re seeking, we start to see what’s possible—and that’s energizing. Be clear about what mountain you’re climbing, why that mountain was chosen, when the climb starts, and when you’ll hit the summit.

6. Show you care

Studies show that workers who feel compassion from their employers work 30% longer on difficult tasks. Teams with compassionate leaders are 15% more likely to stay with the company and show better collaboration, stronger commitment, and far lower turnover. Caring isn’t soft—it’s strategic.

Putting It Together

I recently worked with an HR executive planning an off-site. Her goals: celebration, intentional culture-building, and helping the team decide who they want to be. She wanted people to leave feeling energized and empowered.

We talked about what that actually requires. People need to know they belong and can be themselves. They need to know they’re part of something important, that they can show up with both their strengths and their fears, and that you’ll have their back when they stumble and help them hoist the trophy when they win.

That’s what inspiring leadership looks like. Not a Hollywood speech—just showing up in ways that help your people be their best.