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. Despite these humble beginnings, and in a time of great turmoil and change, he somehow managed to become one of the greatest political and military leaders the world has ever seen.

What was his leadership philosophy, that enabled him achieve so much?

He said,

“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 other people. To create a vision which brings hope that something better is possible. And then inspires you and them to long to do what needs to be done. Once this is in place then implementation becomes a joy.

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


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

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