A leader is a dealer in hope

The Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was born into a relatively modest family, on a provincial island, far from the centres of power. Yet despite these humble beginnings, during a time of massive upheaval, he managed to become one of the greatest military and political leaders the world has ever seen.

What was the leadership philosophy that enabled him achieve so much?

Napoleon put it simply:

“A leader is a dealer in hope.”

No matter what situation you face, your first task in a time of change is to inspire hope and inspiration — first in yourself and then in others. To show that something better is possible. And to then create a vision that inspires you and them to long to make it happen.

With this attitude, this skill, in place, you can use this time of change to create and become more of whatever you want most in the world.

What steps do you take each day to create hope and inspiration — in yourself and others? Would it be useful to learn the seven steps to achieving this?


Adapted from Inner Leadership: a framework and a set of tools for building inspiration in a time of change.

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(And remember: you can’t learn to swim just by reading about swimming, you also have to do the practice.)

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