12 entrepreneurs share what inspires them to be better leaders

While some people are naturally inclined to leadership roles, no one is born a perfect leader. The ability to inspire, motivate and guide a team of people is built over time, and no matter how many leadership positions a person has held, there is always more to learn.

Often your daily interactions can be a source of inspiration for improving your leadership skills. Here, 12 Council for Young Entrepreneurs members share the inspiration in their daily lives that encourages them to be better leaders.

1. Make a meaningful impact on people’s lives

Because I can have a meaningful, enriching impact on other people’s lives, I get excited every morning to get back to work. Every impact — from an employee experiencing a light bulb moment, to customers achieving their goals with our products, to investors conveying their happiness with our returns — is a step toward the vision and mission of our company that my employees and I are committed to. have worked to. – Liam Leonard, DML Capital

2. Helping others

Helping others is the only way to be happy in my opinion. You only rise as a leader by lifting others around you. However, that also comes with responsibility: as a leader, you have to imagine how the people you educate or help to be successful will act once they are successful. – Alexandru Stan, tekpon

3. Make my family proud

My inspiration comes from wanting to make my family proud. Every day I go out into the world to be the best version of myself. I want my family to see that I am a good person. I want to make them proud. I want to lead by example. – Zane Stevens, Protea Financial

4. Be someone people can rely on

Being someone my employees, family and friends can rely on and look up to goes a long way for me. I am inspired and motivated to not only be a better leader, but also a better person in general. This allows me to continuously strive to get better every day. Making a difference and leaving an impact on the community makes me feel empowered and accomplished. – Fritz Colcol, Just Thalia

5. Be a leader worth serving

If you don’t grow, you die. I cannot expect to succeed as an entrepreneur if I am not willing to improve myself. Leadership is hard, but burying my head in the sand to ignore my mistakes and insecurities is much worse. Confronting myself is the only way to grow as a leader and to grow my team effectively. My goal every day is to be a leader worth serving. That inspires me. – Trivinia Hairdresser, PriorityVA

6. Learning every day

I don’t know everything, and there is always something new to learn. In the e-commerce industry, technology is constantly evolving, as is consumer demand for e-commerce businesses and the products they offer. After decades in business, I am still learning new things every day. My employees also know that they can come to me with new ideas, which inspires me even more. – Jonathan Prichard, MattressInsider.com

7. Observe my team

What inspires me is my team. Seeing their dedication and creativity sets new bar for me to clear with my own efforts. Knowing that everything I do creates a culture for people who give me so much time and effort makes me want to be the best leader I can be by setting an example in everything I do. – Tyler Bray, TK Trailer Parts

8. Encouraging Change

I want to become a better leader because I believe that by being one I can make the changes I want others to bring. For example, we have always heard stories of the bad boss making it difficult for their employees. I want to change that and create a work culture that people appreciate, respect and want to come back to. – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster

9. Improving the lives of others

Knowing that what I do really has a ripple effect to improve the lives of others inspires me. I have a staff to guide, a company to lead, industries to change, and innovation to develop. If I don’t come to work inspired and make a difference to what I do, it’s a disservice to anyone I can help along the way. – Mary Harcourt, CosmoGlo

10. Making a difference

For me, making a difference in someone’s life, be it that of an employee or a customer, is what inspires me to lead by example. The smallest acts of kindness or devotion that may be imperceptible to you can really make a difference in someone else’s life. We are all entrepreneurs because we want to make a difference, whether that is by providing a better service or by developing new products. – Kyle Michaud, Carolina Bulldozer

11. Helping someone with their goal

As a leader, I always try to help people who are working on their clear goals, not goals. I believe that a good leader is one who finds better ways to help those around him. When I find myself the reason for a smile fueled by gratitude, it makes my day. I try to help my team members with the goal of adding value to their lives, and that certainly drives me forward. – Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz

12. Understanding the Power of Words

At a time when morale is low, it can be hard to find what inspires you. One thing that inspires me daily is the power of words. I constantly remind myself to use words that inspire and motivate others. To be a better leader, it is important not only to know how to command, but also to inspire the people you lead. – Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC