As a team member or leader, how can you inspire others at work to be better and improve their performance?

Introduction / Context:
Questions about how you inspire others help interviewers understand your leadership style, even if you are not applying for a formal management role. Employers want team members who can lift the performance of people around them. The most effective inspiration comes from positive influence, clear direction and genuine support, not from fear or pressure alone. This question asks which approach best describes how to help others be better at work.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• You work with colleagues whose performance and motivation matter for team success.
• You may or may not have official authority, but your behaviour still influences others.
• The organisation benefits when people grow their skills and stay engaged.
• You want to encourage continuous improvement, not only short term compliance.

Concept / Approach:
Effective inspiration combines role modelling, clarity, feedback and recognition. When you consistently demonstrate the standards you expect from others, you build credibility. When you set clear goals and explain the purpose behind them, people know what they are working toward. Constructive feedback helps colleagues see where to improve and how to do it, while recognition reinforces positive behaviour. This supportive approach is more sustainable than relying on fear, criticism or competition alone, which often leads to burnout and disengagement.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Lead by example by showing strong work ethic, integrity and willingness to learn, so that others can see what good performance looks like in practice. Step 2: Communicate clear, realistic goals and explain how each person contribution connects to team and company outcomes. Step 3: Provide regular feedback in a respectful way, focusing on specific behaviours and results instead of personal criticism. Step 4: Offer support through coaching, sharing resources or pairing people with more experienced colleagues so they feel equipped to improve. Step 5: Recognise and celebrate progress, even small wins, to reinforce motivation and show that effort and growth are valued.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider two leaders managing similar teams. One sets clear expectations, holds short check ins, coaches individuals and publicly acknowledges achievements. Over time, the team becomes more confident, takes initiative and meets targets. The other leader mostly criticises mistakes, threatens consequences and rarely praises good work. That team may show short bursts of effort but tends to experience high stress, turnover and low creativity. The first pattern clearly inspires sustainable improvement, confirming the value of positive leadership behaviours described in the correct option.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B leaves people confused and anxious because expectations are high but communication is low. Option C relies on fear, which may work briefly but damages trust and long term engagement. Option D ignores leadership responsibility and misses chances to support others. Option E uses public shaming, which often humiliates people and reduces confidence instead of encouraging learning. None of these approaches represent healthy inspiration or strong leadership in modern workplaces.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is assuming that inspiring others is only about giving motivational speeches or using slogans. In reality, daily actions, consistency and fairness matter more. Another mistake is treating everyone exactly the same without considering individual strengths and needs. Some people also give feedback only when things go wrong and forget to acknowledge improvement. In interviews, you should show that you understand inspiration as an ongoing process of modelling, guiding and supporting, which makes you a valuable addition to any team.

Final Answer:
Lead by example, share clear goals, give regular constructive feedback and recognise others progress so that people feel supported and motivated to grow.