Ldrstc_Chp.3_INSPIRATION

CHAPTER 3

INSPIRATION

Inspiring your people is one of the most vital points to leadership. I believe this is one of the biggest differences between managers and leaders. Anyone can come in to work and tell people what to do, and tell them when they did a good job. However, a leader is one who comes in and turns the tides of the room by inspiring their people.

One of the most powerful reminders of inspiration and motivation comes from Zig Ziglar, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

You can motivate your troops one day, but by the next it is gone. Once they leave, return home, the stress can continue to compound inward. They lose the drive to keep focused on the goal. It is at that point when you come in and re-inspire them to keep focused on their goal, on their objective to accomplish.

I have found that it is best to try to motivate your people in the morning. If they are motivated first thing, then whatever comes up throughout the day they will have that first bit of motivation to fall back on; this is completely different than if someone experiences stress and hardship and then you try to pull them out of that darkness.

Overtime the motivation you continue to give your people and dedication you put in them leads to inspiring them to become better individuals. This is a sign of great leadership and how you can know whether or not you made a significant difference in their life.

So the question remains; Are you doing everything you can to inspire your people? Are you trying to make them the best individuals they can be, or are you simply showing up to do the job and then go back to your family? Any manager can show up and get the task done, but if you were placed as a leader, if you were given the responsibility to oversee the development of people, you are morally obligated to train and develop them. You are charged to give them your best and share with them all the knowledge and experience you have come to learn throughout your life.