Inspiration

Leadership Coaching Notes October 2009

Inspiration

Andrew wanted to feel and be inspiring. He had fleeting experiences of feeling “in the zone,” but they weren’t every day much less every meeting. He guessed that if he were more inspiring, he and others could Motivational Speaking  improve creativity and results by up to   20%. I offered three practices Andrew used to achieve his goals. Could they help you?

What Worked

1. Challenge Yourself and Others: Andrew had adopted the “theory of the day” in his company… encourage people to tackle a laundry list of tasks and celebrate progress when possible. He’d forgotten that challenging people to hit a few, important targets can inspire them to succeed beyond anyone’s expectations. Meaningful stretch goals creates the good energy that comes with a daring adventure.

What You Can Do: Write Down a Few, Clear, Juicy Goals: Check: Do you know what generates high enthusiasm for you and your team? Service? Learning? Sales? What specific target could you hit if you really stretched in that area? Discover what contributions mean a lot to you and others and then write down a few audacious goals to meet by a specific date. Check: Are you procrastinating? Stop second guessing and go for it! Track progress every week to make the progress you want. Momentum inspires!

2. Inspiration is Contagious: Andrew admitted he was bored with parts of his work and with some of the people he worked with. I asked for the characteristics of the people who turned on his inspiration. He knew exactly. After that, it was easy to brainstorm how to find people with these traits and spend more time with them on projects, for lunch, at seminars or as mentors. He scheduled time with them regularly.

What You Can Do: Hang Out with Awesome People: Check: What kinds of people inspire you? Where are they? Networking and social media open new opportunities to find them easily. Offer to help them. Ask how they stay inspired and work their magic with others. Identify one or two ideas you can use with people you interact with. Keep trying, adding and refining until you feel and observe the results you want. Inspiration is available… search it out.

3. Breathe – All the Time: I asked Andrew to notice his breathing. He was surprised to discover he held it when he was mad, stressed or thinking hard. He reported he felt more stuck, anxious and contracted when his breathing was shallow or stopped. By contrast, when he was breathing deeply (down to his toes) and regularly, he discovered energy, flexibility and alertness. He felt more inspired. He practiced breathing fully in every situation and discovered the cheapest, simplest, and most available source of in-spiration he could ever want.

What You Can Do: Rescue Breathing: Just as a lifeguard performs rescue breathing on a drowning victim, be the guard who monitors and resuscitates your own vitality when you are “drowning” in stress, frustration or fatigue. Check: When do you breathe fully? Notice how you feel. When do you stop breathing and drain your vitality? Whenever you stop, just start again. Imagine your nose is on the soles of your feet. You’ll be surprised at the new vitality you recover, immediately.

Business Impact

Andrew’s team rallied to beat last year’s targets despite the business climate. They were proud to know their accomplishments helped their team avoid laying off 3 people. As Andy spent time with inspiring people and nourished (breathed) his own expansiveness consistently, his enthusiasm rubbed off on his team. They had more fun, pitched in to help each other more and gave that extra “oomph” needed to achieve their goals. People asked to work with Andrew on another project. Now that was inspiring!

What’s Next

If you or leaders you know are finding work is draining your inspiration, give me a call. There are options that can re-energize you and help you inspire others who might feel the same way. Our first call is always free.

All the best,

Meredith Kimbell
Executive Advisor,Strategy Consultant
Corporate Adventure

Leadership Coaching Notes uses real or composite client examples drawn from 25 years of coaching and consulting with leaders committed to solving their toughest personal, interpersonal and organizational issues.
Unless otherwise attributed, all material is copyrighted by Meredith Kimbell © 2011. All rights reserved. You may reprint any or all of this material if you include the following:
“Leadership Coaching Notes © 2011 Meredith Kimbell, Corporate Adventure, Reston, VA. Used with permission.”