Inspire

How do you 'inspire'?

Past the hype and the noise, if you are leading people, inspiring them is not a theory, it's an action.

Here's one.

I've just found out that a lawyer I admire has moved from a major law firm to a new company which is attempting to go from zero to IPO. The role is technical; it's dry, it's legal, it's mission-critical and it's complicated. For me, the act of moving into this high-risk role is inspirational. Not in the fuzzy, utopian, general do-gooder sense. This is earth and rock inspirational.

Take a really bright woman, working in an intellectually intense area and in an outcome-focussed profession. Take a piece of feedback - 'you're at full stretch but you're only using a quarter of what you have to offer'. Paradoxical but true. Then have her accept the following:

'I've outgrown my colleagues, including my bosses, in a direction that matters to me.'

'I have more to offer than what's visible.'

'I need to be in a place where I'm incompetent - because this means I'm going to learn that competence'.

'There's one person who sees that I can deliver something noone else can offer. That's enough.'

'Money isn't everything - in fact it's not even the Thing'.

The result is a terrific win/win for her, the organisation she's helping to create and - paradoxically - the firm that let her go. It inspires because it is an act that directly makes the possible real, requires hope and courage, and reveals important truths.

So, what are you doing that inspires? Are you able to lead by taking that in-breath and showing it's possible to make an inspiring statement with your life? Do you have the courage to resolve your own paradoxes?

Inspire without hype. Lead by your actions.

The rewards are breathtaking!