Past the provocative title, Tim Hawkes has some great points to make about what makes a successful leader.

We all aspire to be inspiring. This is the goal of many leaders in business. Why is this? The word 'inspiring' conjures up imagines of kings and generals making speeches before battle, filling the troops with pride to lead them on to a great victory. Business is not like this, we rarely fight one big battle with a clear enemy and very clear objectives. In business it all takes a lot longer and things get in the way to make it harder, things such as change, management decisions and, of course, politics.

So how can we be inspiring to our people, how do we get people to want to work for us and stay loyal and ultimately deliver us the very best that they can? Actually, managers need only four key values to be an inspiring leader. Adopt the CHAV approach and they will increase their followership, and ultimately, their team's performance and output.

The four key qualities of an inspiring leader

• Consistency

Leaders that change their approach almost on a daily basis end up creating a work environment with no foundations where followers do not know how to act or behave. Consistency through change is a key part to creating and growing followership within the team.

• Humility

Leaders with humility recognise that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. They are not self important, arrogant or condescending. They treat others with respect, and while confident in their own ability, value others and welcome, recognise and appreciate their contributions. Within these qualities humility is unique in that it is perceived by others and seldom recognised by the leader themselves.

By being humble, a leader will lead by example: followers tend to quickly lose respect for a manager who does not lead by example. Deciding that rules laid down do not apply to them is a sure-fire way for a manager to lose any goodwill within an organisation. Leaders with humility take time to explain why they have not adopted suggestions to their team.

• Authenticity

Authenticity is knowing your own core values, beliefs and assumptions and understanding how these drive how you act. This value also includes integrity; a person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. This leads to a trust of followers through displaying high integrity.

Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity and authenticity. An authentic person is also personally confident and therefore stronger willed to make decisions and be more resilient through change.

• Vision

A leader with vision has a clear picture of where to go, what success looks like and how to achieve it. Leaders must be able to communicate their vision in terms that inspire followers to buy into it. They must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious. A good leader must have the discipline to work toward their vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct their actions and those of the team toward the goal.

Action is the mark of a leader. Leaders looking to the future should also be supporting their team in their career and personal aspirations.

Tim Hawkes is managing director of Unlimited Potential