Inspiration is the ability to inspire – to mentally or emotionally stimulate others to do something. In leadership, inspirational leaders tend to be more focused on the longer term and the greater good. Sometimes, there is confusion between charismatic leaders and inspirational leaders. Charismatic leaders are focused on the leader. They engender loyalty to themselves versus the mission, or greater good.
When I think about those leaders I have found to be inspiring in my career/life, they clearly had the ability to draw out of me some quality or some action that stretched my capacity. Often, they ‘called forth’ in me something that I did not know I possessed. They ‘inspired’ me to give of myself to a greater cause. Whether that was baseball, achieving a corporate goal, or working with the homeless, they were able to ‘connect’ me to a greater reward than me being focused on me.
As you will see, or have witnessed, being inspiring doesn’t require a certain personality type. Often, the most inspiring people in my life have tended to be quiet and humble. Whether quiet, or more outgoing, there were some common traits that attracted me.
Authentic
Karissa Thacker in The Art of Authenticity, talks of those with authenticity as having great ‘selves’ awareness (the selves that come out in different situations). They also have Relational Transparency – the ability to be ‘seen’ in their relationships by declaring their beliefs, thoughts, motivations, and intentions. They have Balanced Processing of their thoughts with others. And, they possess an Internalized Moral Perspective – they live out their values. Authenticity is the integration of words and actions. I continue to strive for that state of integration.
Trustworthy
Everyone tends to be more enthusiastic and loyal when they work in an environment run by people they trust. Trust is gained when you do what you say that you will do. It is also gained when you take interest in others, their lives, and their success.
Garnered Respect
Most often, the presence of the first two traits will lead to earning people’s respect. The ability to ‘walk the talk’ most often means that you are also working in an ethical way.
Faced Challenges
One consistency I found in those who inspired me was the willingness to face challenges. It didn’t seem to matter what the issue was; they were always willing to face it directly. They treated whatever ‘bad or difficult’ news with the sense that, for them, it was ‘just news.’ They didn’t present it from a judgmental perspective, but knew that this was information that you needed to have in order to help you, them, others meet/overcome the challenge.
Life Long Learners
Inspiring people, for me, have always been curious about life and the world around them. They weren’t committed to thinking that they had all the answers, but were open to different possibilities. They freely accepted that in one moment they were the teacher, and in the next, you were. It didn’t matter to them how old you were, nor your experience, but what insight you might have that they did not.
Inspiration is built from within – knowing who you are and the unique set of skills, talents, and gifts that you possess to fulfill who you were created to be. You know your purpose. My sense is that when you are focused on the ‘who’ of who you are you don’t ACT inspirational, you ARE inspirational. As Father Leo was told by his sponsor at AA, “Leo, you don’t have a message, you are the message!”
We all need inspiration. I celebrate all those people in my life who ‘called forth’ in me the ‘who I am’ becoming today. May you celebrate those in your life who have inspired you, and may you be celebrated.