Posts tagged vision

“The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion.” — Theodore Hesburgh, President of the University of Notre Dame

OK. So you’ve got a vision. You’ve recruited a team of others whole share that vision. How do you keep them motivated?

Getting people to accomplish something is much easier if they have the inspiration to do so. Inspire literally means “to breathe life into.” And in order to perform that, we have to have some life ourselves. Three main actions will aid you in accomplishing this:

1. Be passionate: In organizations where the is a leader with great enthusiasm about a project, a trickle-down effect will occur. You must be committed to the work you are doing. If you do not communicate excitement, how can you expect your people to get worked up about it?

2. Get your team involved in the decision making process: People who are involved in the decision making process participate much more enthusiastically than those who just carry out their boss’s order. Help them contribute and tell them you value their opinions. Listen to them and incorporate their ideas when it makes sense to so.

3. Know what your organization is about!: General Creighton W. Abrams used to say in the mid-1970s, is that “the Army is not made up of people. The Army is people. Every decision we make is a people issue.” Your organization is the same.

It makes sense then that your primary responsibility as a leader is to develop people and enable them to reach their full potential. Your people may come from diverse backgrounds, but they all have goals they want to accomplish. Create a “people environment” where they truly can be all they can be.

(Source: nwlink.com)

I’m an avid reader, and I think all storytellers - even when they are just telling themselves inspirational stories to get through the day - need to enjoy good books. Especially the genre of ‘short stories’ - a well-written short story is a powerful experience for the reader or listener. And most of the stories you’re going to be telling are relatively short.

All the stories I’ve read over the years can be broken up into six categories.

“Who I Am” Stories: help us to define (or redefine) who we are, and how we want to walk through the world. In the marketplace, these are autobiographies or authorized bios. Recommendation: when you’re in a difficult place in life, read the biographies of the people you admire and wish to emulate.

“Why I’m Here” Stories:  Certainly similar to “Who I Am” stories, these stories define a purpose or reason for being.

Teaching Stories: Obviously, these are instructive tales, which illustrate how to live ethical, mindful lives…or simply how to get a job done easier and faster.

Vision Stories: These are the stories we tell to inspire ourselves and others. They may stimulate action and raise morale during hard times.

“Values in Action” Stories: We all live by a set of values. For most, family is important; good deeds, kindness and compassion toward others - these stories transmit the importance of a given value.

“I Know What You’re Thinking” Stories: These are persuasive in nature. Your audience, is skeptical of their ability, their potential for success. This is true even when your audience is YOU! It’s up to you, as a storyteller, to convince them of the reality: the skies the limit (even when the evening news is telling you otherwise). They see things one way, and it’s up to you to illustrate a different, more positive way to see things.

Next time you pick up a book, ask yourself what type of story is being told. And when you tell yourself (or others) your own story - be aware of the six ways you can ‘spin’ the tale!