Inspiring….really
What inspires you?
What makes you get up and go for something?
Do you even know?
Inspiration has often been described - doing something that takes your breath away. Finding the time to build inspiration into your working life helps transform you and others. The definition of inspiration
“Makes someone want to do something or give someone an idea about what to do or create: a force or influence that inspires someone a person, place, experience that makes someone want to do or create something. : a good idea.”
We have to call the BS that the word Inspiration can create. It is overused and undermines when real inspiration occurs. Let’s get real when you are inspired to do something, take action, something pretty good occurs. But how often does that actually happen? We can all easily overuse … "I was so inspired, or they inspired me"…..
Look at when we watch or experience “inspirational speakers” telling us their stories; we leave the auditoriums (or virtual Ted talks, youtube etc) and say, "wow, I'm so inspired- YET- we do nothing different – so how can we be inspired? We may have been interested, amazed, intrigued by someone else's fete, endurance or resilience yet inspired? I don't understand how we can be inspired if we take no action. In the newly edited and soon to be republished Leadership or Leadershit V2.0/ 8 Faces of Leadership the topic of inspiration is fully explored and also how we can be uninspired ourselves directly through our language, behaviours, fear, worry, concern, competitive nature, comparison to others and so much more.
Making inspiration something that is an active thing, one that benefits us and others can be a focus for each of us can be a practice we all undertake. It’s not about demanding inspiration, adding additional pressure into our lives to be something we are not. Inspiration should be about what we are, why we do what we do. A direct link into purpose, outcome. The importance of relishing and experiencing, noting the process and the joy that it creates too.
We truly believe self-perpetuating actions create inspiration.
Make inspiration a daily action
As a leader, you make a daily choice to either inspire or not to inspire-consciously or sub-consciously. Choosing not to inspire yourself, or experience being inspired creates a default outcome that does not inspire others either.
In this catch 22, you need to inspire without inspiring and you need to inspire, get inspired and experience the process. The reality isn’t as overwhelming it’s pretty exciting as inspiring starts with you and as the negative outcome is dont inspire dont get inspired and dont help others. Starting your own activity of finding, seeking, being curious about inspiring actions means the positive default that it inspires others. Wonderful news.
Reflecting on this is key if you lead others as inspiration can become a pressure, yet it should be part of whom you are through being an ethical, supporting, willing and approachable leader.
I am sure you’ve been to a company workshop or work training session and been asked who inspires you? The answers are cliche most of the time- my gran, my parents, my family, my kids, my last boss etc. Yet we very rarely (only once), have we heard someone say me, I inspire myself. I am sure that you get focused and can reflect on family and friends dealing with hardships, adversity or just being resilient and it gives you focus on what they have done or achieved- this is not to undermine anyone or their accomplishments. It is to challenge the depth and brevity of inspiration. The ownership of inspiration. How to make it be an aid, driver, focus to build what you want in your life or business.
Turning inspiration on its head and instead of leveraging against another person’s i.e.” they inspired me so much”, become your own inspiration.
Consider this in the context of an inspiring business. What names come to your mind when we say list inspiring businesses? Why have you chosen them? What makes them inspiring to you?
Does your list have businesses created specifically for cash and profit without a purpose?. Does your inspiring business list have businesses that “give back” or have a community? Understand their customers? What examples can you give? Would you work for one of the inspiring businesses you list? If not why would they be on your inspiring list?
In business, profit longevity is a necessity in any industry. Yet, we see many businesses so focused on making money that they neglect the crucial part of a business to inspire our clients, customers, and teams to buy into their product or service.
“Look at your definition and interaction with inspiration- what does it mean to you and how do you take action from it?”
Inspiration is a positive, powerful force - a breath of fresh air. It's always welcomed and never rejected (as far as I am aware). Understanding why and how you define inspiration is your starting point and also recognise what is inspirational that you may already have? Check this list of inspirational tools you have access to right now. An instant activity is to go through these things and plan to fix them if you can't fix them immediately.
Okay, so we talked a lot about inspiring, doing, seeking, being curious and finding your definition of it. Where the heck do you start? We have this covered too through the next sections we look at many many ways to help you start.
12 Inspiration Tools you already have at your instant use
1 – Ability to be positive, clear messaging and communication. Your language.
2 – Sharing and having defined, specific, agile roles and responsibilities in your business.
3 – Exciting, innovative, unique to your business products and services. Being the same as everyone else or just copying isn’t inspiring to clients, customers or teams. You as a leader have a responsibility to seek out the product and services that make you unique and it may be your approach, team, people, culture, environment, application, quality, quantity. Think fashion as an example and see how fashion is a huge industry yet we can name many brands that have their unique stamp and style within this vast industry- what’s yours?
4 – Layered and easily explainable multi-visions for the future. Visions, mission, purpose can change they should be flexible and adaptable not static and rigid. Most inspiration arrives, happens/comes from when we step away from what we should do to leaping into the unknown and doing.
5 - Share. Seek and be curious about the positive stories and share them when you find them.
6 – You can sum up your role/your business in an exciting single sentence. Clear one single business sentence - purpose, meaning, reason. Simple means repeatable means specific and everyone understands what it means to them.
7 – Everyone knows and understands the business mission. (Understand that having a mission personal or professional is by default inspiring as it allows decisions, choices and actions to be made that benefit the mission- its a way of thinking clearly)
8 – Everyone know and understands their role and impact on the vision of the business. (If the vision changes make this part of the conversation how it affects each role and function)
9 - Shared values, lived real behaviours in all you do. As a leader, you should always role model the behaviours you want in others, yourself first. (This is the number one principle in RLC 7 Daily Leadership Principles)
10 – Never talking about each other secretly and negatively, behind peoples backs or sharing third-party unchecked conversations.
11 - Create active openness, a culture of feedback, remove blame and shame. This inspires true action, fail fast, promotes learning and self-growth.
12 – Creating the place that your teams want to work in by leading it. SImple as emails not being sent at 11 pm and expecting a reply!?
True Leadership Inspiration
We all read books, newspapers, overindulge on social media, watch the news and TV shows that capture brave people's stories or see innovative companies and brands that change the planet. You may have worked at an inspiring company, listened to an inspiring speaker. We can all enjoy the stories of people's careers or business decisions, whether the inspiring innovation of Elon Musk of Tesla, the inspiring youth start of the Facebook founders. The inspiring philanthropy of Bill Gates and Melinda Gates, myths of Steve Jobs and humility of Wozniack, the secret sauce of Warren Buffet or even further back in time. Ford Cars, the steel revolution or more. They are inspiring, and as a reader, they help you think about what is possible if you dare to dream or choose to be inspired!
Yet all of us have one thing in common with each of them. Their inspiration, their ideas of action, thoughts and opportunities all started in their head first. Inspiration for others who you relate to, connect with and positively react to was an internal job for each of the individuals first. True inspiration is not found in exposed places, not in the glamour; it is not on a TV show, it is not something often discussed. True, real inspiration comes out in a unique set of circumstances and is discovered in places of genuine deep relationships.
Jon Stewart has just started a program on Apple TV, and it's not a satirical comedy; his usual style. The program is about people that inspire in their everyday roles from veterans, soldiers to educationalists, parents, small businesses and more. Inspiring to create change. Being more aware of someone who has been through some of the most challenging everyday struggles humans face, dusted themselves down, fought on and found a deep resilience and humility to fight. Fight through each day to be where they are today.
Covid has demonstrated this to us in many ways globally. True inspiration is a moment when someone takes the time to open up about someone they love or close to them to move others to act. Over the years, we have been fortunate at RLC to share some magnificent experiences of people taking the time to be brave and share who truly inspires them. Countless examples of human stories are incredible. They have led me to conclude that general inspiration is found everywhere. But true inspiration is a local experience. It is somewhere near to you, right under your nose and when the observer then takes action to do things differently.
What about things you can consider to do for you and others to challenge what inspiration is in your daily life.
15 ways to inspire self and others
Personal development and investment. Investing in your growth is essential to inspire others.
Get a Coach. Coaching culture creates inspiring outcomes.
Having a mentor or creating access to mentors.
At work have access to an array of training topics (not all linked directly to your business). Make them easily accessible and thought-provoking.
Finding out what the team need/want regularly (create feedback circles).
Communication updates- they must be strong, healthy, direct and positive internal messaging. Consistency is key here.
Relaxed social media if appropriate, allow being yourself and others themselves as the only way to be
Ensure you have a great website. Represent your business to others to fix a problem, help, support, answer or solve a problem.
Have access to Libraries for books and media that stimulate, challenge and query.
Tell consistent true Stories (not myths) that are repeatable and happen.
Create a culture of recognition, share success every day. Find people doing it right (Ken Blanchard)
Fail fast and share what didn’t work with everyone.
Develop communication channels that do not add more work, have fewer meetings as they create ineffectiveness. Be aware of time and how it’s ineffective.
Stop doing slide decks for the worst use of time possible in a business and the least inspiring action.
Simplify everything you possibly can. Truly inspiring.
Notice what you don’t notice!
Building inspiration means you must have self-awareness, understanding and be able to accept it and work on the feedback. The skill of noticing what you don’t notice is a great start and an activity you can do is a universal coaching technique called the Johari Window. If you have completed this activity before then what have you done about the outcomes and feedback you received? If not here is how to start to build your own inspiration through feedback.
Your truth is not someones else’s truth. Your experience is not someone esle’s experience. Feedback is exactly the same. You ask for feedback, you acknowledge the feedback, you do not have to accept the feedback to force any change. That choice is yours and yours alone. Feedback is a tool, it’s biased and loaded as a personal opinion. therefore you have to decide what you will choose to do with it or not. The critical action from feedback is to let the person giving you the feedback knows you have heard them, acknowledgement is essential. Thank them respectfully and tell them you will reflect on their feedback. You do not have to explain (nor do they) what you choose to do with the feedback.
What we experience in feedback is that we challenge questions, query and answer back defensively when given the feedback we dont like or we undermine and dismiss positive feedback that recognises a skill or result
Build your self-inspiration
If you are ready to work on becoming your own inspiring self there is a super simple way of doing that too. We have adapted a universal group coaching tool; the Johari window and made it into an active remote self-activity. Note feedback can be subjective and emotive so be warned this is a starting point of self-awareness. The quality of the outcome is the quality and variety of people you ask; even people you don’t have the best relationships with.
Overall, the Johari window process is normally done in a group activity, where we do it is as a remote activity; self-awareness openness and willingness to receive feedback are a necessity (first self-test!). You will collect a list of word descriptions of you from the feedback you request from others, and you will list your own and place them in one of the three boxes.
In this activity, you have two types of feedback (1st is your own, second is what you have collected from others)
Here is the list of words to send to others.
Able
Accepting
Adventurous
Aggressive
Autonomous
Bold
Brave
Brash
Bully
Calm
Caring
Cheerful
Clever
Curious
Complex
Compliant
Confident
Courageous
Critical
Decisive
Demanding
Dependable
Dignified
Diplomatic
Dominating
Sentimental
Shy
Silly
Giving
Gregarious
Grateful
Gracious
Gifted
Grating
Happy
Helpful
Humourous
Hindering
Hopeful
Idealistic
Impulsive
Independent
Isolated
Ignorant
Introverted
Influential
Impactful
Inspiring
Intelligent
Intuitive
Instinctive
Kind
Knowledgeable
Self Conscious
Self Contained
Sensible
Nervous
Nominator
Noisy
Nosey
Observant
Organised
Open
Obtrusive
Obstinate
Patient
Persuasive
Powerful
Private
Proud
Playful
Progressive
Quiet
Questioning
Quizical
Reflective
Relaxed
Relative
Reliable
Religious
Responsive
Risk taker
Searching
Self Aware
Spiritual
Systematic
Talkative
tenacious
tense
Thorough
Trustworthy
Warm
Wise
Witty
Welcoming
Driven
Empatahtic
Energetic
Even-Tempered
Extroverted
Educated
Enigmatic
Easy going
Flexible
Listener
Loyal
Loving
Laugh
Likeable
Lazy
Mature
Modest
Motivator
How to complete the activity
Get feedback from a minimum of 8 people
Send the list of words and instructions to each person (not a group email)
Send them the list of words and ask them to choose at least 5 for you that they think best represents their relationship with you.
From the list pick the words that you perceive yourself to be.
When you have got all the responses back
Put the words that you have listed and also that you have received from others into the open box
Put the words that you have received that you haven’t listed into the blind box
Put the words that you have listed, and others haven’t listed into the hidden box.
Questions to ask yourself and get more feedback on:
What were the biggest surprises to you regarding the Blind Spots?
Which adjectives may be helpful to you since you now know others’ perceptions and observations?
What Hidden adjectives would you like to show more often to your team members?
What would be the first step you could take to move in this direction? Get feedback on why your hidden results and ask how could you represent them better?
Making Inspirational Simple
I have often quoted this in board rooms when the discussion is a new product. Using this phrase, I have also stopped the products being sold, as the new product couldn't easily explain them and, therefore, would not sell.
When processes are simple, people can excel.
When communication is simple, people can connect.
When the mission is simple, people can navigate.
When the challenge is simple, we are more effective and productive and resolve faster.
When something is complex and complicated, we can make it simple, with fewer words, fewer steps to achieve through working through and thinking differently – inspirational thinking is linked to cognitive diversity.[3]
A simple task to undertake is to answer these three questions
What’s your top product in as few words as possible?
What’s your future story about in a few words?
What’s your team’s mantra in a single sentence?
Real Leadership is, at its most, potent when it gets personal meaning connected, relatable and relevant.
Personal demands that the leader takes the time to understand their teams, customers and themselves. Who, in turn, is expected to do the same. When you tap into the power of human potential, you unlock another level of motivation beyond the day to the office's daily humdrum. When a leader cares about the goals and ambitions they lead and couple that energy and focus on the firm's purpose, something magic happens. They inspire by default.
Sometimes, people will not share their real dreams for fear of rejection or not feeling safe enough to say. Some goals and plans can be personal, and therefore we have to take a different yet familiar approach with Leadership.
Taking the time to build memories and experiences to share and develop deep rapport in your team is the only way to encourage personal goals and real future thinking.
Deep rapport goes way beyond traditional rapport training and development. For example, it is not knowing the names of your dog or your spouse or loved one, and it does not know where you live or where you went to school.
Deep rapport is sharing deep chunky big questions about you, who you are, what you care about, how you have become who you are, what you have overcome and much more. As you can see, it requires effort and time.
Many years ago, I read the book Super Coach by Dr Michael Neil, where he illustrates a poem about how we come into a world full of perfection. Yet, through our home life, education, and experiences, we lose that sense of what is possible, and, in the process, we lose the magic of who we are. The first step of inspirational Leadership is to inspire the people you lead and believe in their natural human potential and to do that you have to be able to define, articulate and do the inspiration yourself first.
Human belief is a choice.
We are often forced into conditions and circumstances that shape what we believe is possible. Inspirational Leadership deals with belief and knowing. The leader takes the time to get to know their people, coach, review, up-skill, develop, train, mentor and ultimately equip their people with the skills and beliefs required to fulfil their absolute best because they are also doing this work themselves. Inspiration is personal.
If we do not inspire ourselves through self-belief or focus using the language of belief as I can, I do, I shall, I will knowing then how do we do it for others? We also know through experience businesses that get led by narcissistic ego-driven leaders and can succeed for a period through fear, hierarchy, burnout exists- these businesses fester and a toxic culture is created without inspiration.
Many people write stories, blogs, programs and books about discovering how to be your best self, as have we. Yet it’s more than a cliche sounding trend. Inspiration is something we will need as long as life exists on this planet. The way the brain records experiences, good and bad, helps and hinders our development, harnessed or left to develop by itself, dictates that we will always need ways to learn and develop our potential. As a Leader, it starts in a simple place. It begins by sitting down with your people and asking questions about their beliefs, also instrumental in the world of coaching.
Inspiring you first
You can use these tests for yourself and then use them with team members.
SELF TEST
What beliefs do I have about my/your potential?
What have you always wanted to learn to do?
What do I believe is your destiny?
What beliefs do I have that do not support me?
Do I have beliefs that disable or enable who I lead?
Do my behaviours match my goals?
What beliefs would I change immediately if I believed I could?
How can I improve my belief system?
What do others believe about me that are not true?
TEAM TEST
What beliefs do I have about your potential?
What have you always wanted to learn to do?
What do I believe is your destiny?
What beliefs do I have that do not support me?
Do I have beliefs that disable or enable whom I lead?
·Do my behaviours match my goals?
What beliefs would I change immediately if I believed I could?
How can I improve my belief system?
What do others believe about me that are not true?
One of the simple and most critical steps in inspirational Leadership is to make the resources available for your people to grow and improve. I meet leaders who know that development is essential, and yet they under-budget development for their people.
The number of directors in mid to large-sized companies who ask for coaching budgets and are declined is staggering—one example of firms choosing to stay where they are. If you want people to grow, you have to create an environment to teach, coach and train them what you need them to know over and above the 'day job'. So there is a reluctance to prioritise development spending. Yet some companies also do a fantastic job -[6] Placing learning at the heart of the role, the heart of the culture internally and externally.
Three simple questions for identifying development opportunities
What resources do my people need to be better tomorrow?
What technology exists to make their role even easier?
What can I do to work on the skills needed to further their careers?
There is truth in hiring talent and deciding what to do with them next. But, getting the most out of this principle, you have to be ready to devote time to development, the future, strategic development of the business, the people, the culture, and your story's development as a whole. The right talent comes with a set of expectations.
As a coach and consultant, I believe that when someone makes the brave decision to leave a job and move their career to a new venture, it is critical for them and the new employer. The business and its leaders must ensure that a new employee (and the existing ones) have a work world that matches what we're told as they join the business. When this is not the case, people usually leave. The best talent always leaves first. Having a development plan for all business elements is critical, covering the strategy, the mission, the future, the skills required, the behaviours, Leadership and the overall communication and cultural development of your company.
Nurturing the talent, the story, the people you lead is a must.
Highlighting this is a natural example of the bamboo tree that captures the real spirit of nurturing. Plants require several critical things to help them grow fertile soil, sun, and water. The bamboo tree takes 4 to 5 years to develop. There are no signs of growth in the first year or the second, third, or fourth years. Imagine the effort it takes to look after it, protect it, and keep the conditions right every year. Then, suddenly, in year five, it grows up to 8 feet in just six weeks. All the activity comes at the end, the growth taking place under the surface. Bamboo trees are some of the most flexible trees on the planet and can withstand storms.
Leadership is the same. Some stories, some missions take time to come to life. As a leader who intends to inspire their people, it is vital to ensure that it is achieved with the right balance of nurturing.
Reflections
Inspiration starts with self. Self-belief, real self, knowing, believing, having a consistent mindset to drive motivation, demonstrate vulnerability, and do what needs to be done. As a business or as a leader, you have to invest in inspiration, which means yourself and others.
The other reflection in inspiration is having the ability to be inspired by the little stuff. Maybe that’s where the BS comes in we say we are inspired by all these huge accomplishments of others knowing we would never ever do those things, just never. When maybe we should be inspired by the daily incremental actions of others. The focus or belief that one applies in their life and lives happily, in balance, without drama. High level of acceptance and tolerance, awareness and influence.
Consider how you represent yourself, what inspires you to take action? Do you do that for others? Inspiration is achieved by encouraging everyone you come into contact with by your attitude, behaviour, stories, and mindset to transform the future into a thousand positive possibilities.
“Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely”
INSPIRATION
We love an acronym at RLC, and the one I use when reminding others of inspirational leadership is
I - It's a choice (only you decide)
N - Now (it never about later)
S - Simple (remove the complexity to create belief and knowing)
P - Personal (make it relatable and relevant to each role)
I -I’m possible (always believe, language will, shall, do, can)
R - Resources ( Use all the resources, learning is a forever topic)
A - Action (Achievement isn't through observation; it is in the doing)
T - Talent (keep it, hire it, nurture it, invest in it)
I - Inspiration (is your job self first)
O - Opportunity (is everywhere, and you as a leader should be creating it)
N - Nurturing (Nurturing, teaching, guiding, coaching; all nurturing, self-investment and development are nurturing.)
Research
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/10/problem-jon-stewart-apple-tv-plus/620277/
The Johari window, exploring the unconscious process of interpersonal relationships William Berquist
8 Faces of leadership / Leadershit V2.0 Dave Evans
