How Inspiration and Leadership Helped Us Build a Great Workplace Culture | Inspiration That Matters
Let me tell you a story:
Can you believe a small software company like Ceyentra became one of the best workplaces in the IT/ITes sector in Sri Lanka, recognized by Great Place to Work Sri Lanka?
We all know the big players in the IT sector in Sri Lanka. They offer higher salaries and more benefits, right?
To be frank, Ceyentra is a small company. We might not give the best salary or the most benefits.
So, how did we make it to that list? Can your small startup also do it?
The short answer is: YES.
How? Through inspiration.
Read this article to discover the science behind inspirational leadership and how you can inspire all the employees and teammates in your company.
Let’s dive in.
Leadership: The Foundation of a Great Workplace Culture
It all begins with leadership.
All leaders have one thing in common – their followers.
A follower is someone who volunteers to go where you want to go, someone who raises their hand and says, “I choose to follow you.”
But why should someone follow you?
There are two ways to influence human behavior to gain followers:
- Manipulate people
Examples include offering the highest salary to reduce competition risk or using fear to influence behavior. These tactics do not breed loyalty or trust. Over time, they can increase stress and cause long-term problems.
- Inspire people
This is the sustainable alternative. Few organizations rely on inspiration rather than manipulation, but this is what builds a strong and positive workplace culture.
How Ceyentra Built a Great Workplace Through Inspiration
Winning the Great Place to Work award was proof that inspiration matters more than just salary or benefits.
If many companies did the same, Ceyentra wouldn’t stand out as we do.
So, how do we inspire people?
Before understanding that, you should grasp the concept of the Golden Circle, a leadership model taught by Simon Sinek.
Understanding the Golden Circle: Why Inspiring Leaders Communicate Differently
The Golden Circle explains how inspirational leaders communicate from Why to What, while managers tend to communicate from What to Why.
- What – What you do. Everyone knows this.
- How – How you do it. Senior employees often understand this better.
- Why – Why do you do it? This is the core purpose, not just making money.
The right side of the Golden Circle (starting with Why) is more appealing because it explains the reason behind the work, which motivates and inspires employees.
The 3 Essential Elements for Building an Inspirational Culture
Everybody knows what they need to do. A beginner to a senior knows about it.
It is obvious that some people only know about what they need to do. A senior person might know better than a beginner about how they need to do it.
Very, very few people understand the Why? Don’t anticipate the why as making money. Money is the result. Not the answer for your Why?
There is a clear difference between these two examples. The right side is more appealing. Because it clearly explains the reason why you should do your job.
To make sure this will work, you need to have 3 things right.
- You have to know your Why – the clarity of Why is important here.
- Discipline of How – You have to hold yourself accountable and your people accountable to your guiding principles and your values.
- Consistency of What – Everything you say and everything you do has to prove what you believe.
The person has the best Why, and the person who successfully communicates the Why to everybody will have the greatest number of followers. And he/she will become the most influential leader on this planet.
The person has the best Why, and the person who successfully communicates the Why to everybody will have the greatest number of followers. And he/she will become the most influential leader on this planet.
Authenticity: The Key to Trust and Loyalty
You must be authentic. Your words and actions should reflect what you truly believe, 100%.
Without authenticity, you lose trust over time.
The Power of Community, Culture, and Trust
Humans succeed not because we’re the strongest or smartest, but because we form communities and cultures.
A great workplace culture is a group of people who share values and beliefs.
When surrounded by like-minded people, something remarkable happens: trust emerges.
Trust is a human experience, not just reliability.
It is born from shared values and beliefs and encourages taking risks, exploring, and innovating – even when failure is possible.
In great cultures, when stress happens, the team comes together to solve problems.
Without trust, people withdraw, and everything collapses.
The most basic human desire is to feel like we belong.
Leadership Is a Choice – You Can Build a Great Workplace Too
There are many leaders in the world, but I invite everyone to choose to lead and do remarkable things for their company.
It is you who will set the tone for the future.