When the world is changing, the only way to succeed is by doing new things in new ways.
The best way to achieve that is by inspiring ourselves and the people around us.
Because, 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 there are at least three reasons why it is even more true now:
- 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 this doubt, fear, and uncertainty. And the best way to do that is by inspiration.
. - Once people have joined your project, difficulties are bound to arise:
The more inspiration you have created, the more enthusiasm and energy people will bring to the project, the more easily they will be able to handle the difficulties that arise (without needing input from you), and the longer they will stick with the project, no matter what happens.
. - Over time, the inspiration felt by you and your team 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 means the difference between a company that outperforms its competitors and one that fails to grow,” Gallup said. Imagine what you would do if someone offered you a technology that could increase your earnings by 147%. Working on what inspires you most is that technology. It’s also more fun, more enjoyable.
Building inspiration will spur people to join your project, motivate them to stay with it, and increase the contributions you all make.
Finding what you love inspires you to begin, encourages you to keep going, and brings you the passion and joy that will enable you to produce better results than you otherwise would have done.
All of which makes a changing world much easier to handle. And it also makes you, and the people around you, antifragile — able to use 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 (and they) felt more inspired?
Adapted from Inner Leadership: a framework and tools for building inspiration in times of change.
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Photo By Jaume Escofet via StockPholio.net