I’m inspired by people who have extraordinary psychology. They’re the ones who know that the only limits are those which we impose upon ourselves. They don’t accept being told that something is impossible, and they definitely think outside the box and leave their comfort zones. These are people who are led by their dreams and visions, and make things happen with their persistency.
Kouzes and Posner (2002) suggest that before we can inspire others, we have to envision a future that inspires us. We must personally believe in something and be inspired ourselves before taking on the challenge of helping others see the possibilities. Providing meaning and purpose can help others create an exciting vision. That leads to self-motivation which offers far greater results than any external motives.
Two people who come to mind when thinking about inspiration is Anthony Robbins and Mahatma Gandhi. Both are extraordinary in their own ways, led by the strength of their beliefs and visions. Their achievements speak for themselves – both men have transcended limits of all sorts. Who inspires you? What do you do to be more like them?
The second part of creating a shared vision is enlisting others by developing a shared sense of destiny (Kouzes and Posner, 2002). It’s the leader’s task to show others how their own interests are aligned with the shared vision. Kouzes and Posner point out that leadership is everyone’s business. It’s not left exclusively to those in management positions. Being inspired by future possibilities and helping others to see themselves as part of a shared vision is part of being an effective leader.
Martin Luther King is an excellent example of a visionary leader. It’s obvious that he examined the past and used it to determine the kind of future he wanted. His values and beliefs seemed well established, providing a passionate vision about an exciting future. He listened to others and spoke from the heart. His words united the masses inspiring them to fight for a common cause, sharing a vision. He wasn’t just someone in a leadership position, Dr. King was affected by the same issues as were the people he lead to fight for freedom.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2002). The leadership challenge (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Company.
