When the world around us is changing, the only way we can succeed is by doing new things in new ways. And the best way to achieve that is by inspiring ourselves and the people around us.
As Steve Jobs put it:
“If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”
This was true when the world was stable. And it is even more true now, for three main reasons:
- In a time of change, people are likely to be experiencing doubt, uncertainty, and even fear:
Getting them to switch to new ways of doing things means overcoming that doubt, uncertainty, and fear. And the best way to do that is by inspiring them.
. - Once people have joined your project, difficulties are bound to arise:
The more inspiration you have created, the more easily they will be able to handle the difficulties, no matter what happens, and the longer they will stick around.
. - Over time, the level of inspiration that you and your team feel will translate into better results:
Research by Gallup shows that companies with highly engaged workforces “outperform their peers by 147% in earnings per share.”
“A highly engaged workforce,” Gallup says, “means the difference between a company that outperforms its competitors and one that fails to grow.”
What would you do if someone offered you a technology that increases your earnings per share by 147%? Working on what inspires you is that technology.
Building inspiration not only spurs people to join your project but also motivates them to stay and increases the contributions you all make. And an inspired life is so much more enjoyable.
All of which makes a changing world much easier to handle. And makes you and the people around you antifragile — able to use this time of change to become stronger and more valuable.
On a scale of 0-10, how inspired do you and the people around you feel today? What would happen if you all felt more inspired about the future you were building?
Adapted from The Churning, Inner Leadership: a framework and a set of tools for building inspiration in a time of change.
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Photo By Jaume Escofet via StockPholio.net