Inspiration
-From Mitch Barns Blog
When people are asked, “What do you want from a leader?” one of the most common replies is, “Inspiration.” What does it mean? What does it look like?
The quality of being “inspiring” can take many different forms. Some are overt, while others are more subtle. Here are ten varieties of “inspiring”.
1. Confidence. The type of confidence that many find inspiring is “poise,” which I think of as the combination of confidence and calmness.
2. Optimism. Optimism is about seeing a future that is better than today’s reality. At some level, it’s a choice.
3. Energy. One of energy’s many forms is optimism put into motion in a way that energizes others.
4. Courage. Courage is about rising above fear and acting. It is inspiring to see someone to do that. (Note: If no fear, then no need for courage. So fear can be inspiring too.)
5. Clarity. Stating our objectives with sophisticated words might sound impressive, but the result is often abstract and not so inspiring. Inspiring missions are usually concrete, simple, and crystal clear. For example, which is more clear and inspiring? “We want to achieve topline growth that is significantly above the rate of our competitive peer group,” or “We want to double the business in 3 years.”
6. Decisiveness. Enough said.
7. Perseverance. There are almost always more paths to failure than to success. There are almost always more reasons to stop than to continue. When you keep going anyway and somehow find a way through it all, you are inspiring (or crazy!).
8. Integrity. Opportunities abound to take (inappropriate) shortcuts to gain an advantage. Sometimes, the situation is such that “no one will ever know”. When a person resists those temptations and insists on “winning the right way”, that is incredibly inspiring.
9. Sacrifice. When a leader suffers for the cause or puts the group’s interests above his/her own…it stirs something inside of us. It inspires us.
10. Balance. It is exciting to see someone achieve success. It is inspiring to see that same success achieved in the context of a balanced life. It tells us, “Sacrifice is not a chronic condition required for success,” … and that is both reassuring and inspiring.
What do you find inspiring in a leader?
2010/10/25
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启迪
当有人被问到：“你想从领袖那里得到什么？”“启迪”是很常见的答案之一。这意味着什么？这看起来像什么？
“启迪”的形式可以有很多种。有一些是明显的，也有一些是微妙的。以下是10种不同的“启迪”：
- 自信。这种自信是一种平衡，我认为是一种自信和冷静地结合。
- 乐观。乐观是相信比现实更美好的未来。有些情况下，这是一种选择。
- 活力。活力的其中一种形式是积极地让身边的人充满活力。
- 鼓励。鼓励是让人看到害怕并因此行动起来，这也是一种启迪。（注：如果没有害怕，也就不用鼓励行动。所以害怕也是一种启迪。）
- 透明。把目标形容得精美绝伦也许听起来令人印象深刻，但结果是通常太抽象也无法启发他人。能够让人受启发的目标往往比较专注、简单、并且和水晶般透明。举个例子，以下哪一样比较清晰让人有启迪？是“我们要让我们的业务大幅地提高，要比起竞争者增长的多得多”还是“我们要在三年里让业务翻番”？
- 果断。已经说过很多了。
- 坚持。失败的路总是比成功的路多。停下来的理由总是比继续下去的多。当你不顾一切地往前走并且终于有一天找到了走出去的路，你就获得了启迪。（好疯狂！）
- 正直。获得优势的机会很多时候出现在（不正当的）捷径当中。有时候，情况是“没有人会知道”。当你抵挡住诱惑并且坚持“赢在正确的路上”的时候，你毫无疑问已经得到了启迪。
- 牺牲。当一个领袖疲于把集团利益放在自己之前的时候，有些东西在我们心中被唤醒。它可以给我们启迪。
- 平衡。看到一个人成功是让人兴奋的。这让我们想到，能否在生活保持平衡的状态下获得成功。“牺牲自己不是成功必须的长期状态”这就是一种启迪和安慰。
你们有没有发现什么启迪领袖的想法？