Can you think of any moments recently when you felt your spirits soar? Mine include the surge of love and joy I experienced alongside my wife on the day of our daughter’s graduation. Another was a wondrous sense of excitement as I spent two hours tracking a leopard with my camera on the plains of the Masai Mara.
I’ve been lucky enough to experience some of these invigorating moments at work too. The pride in seeing one of my young colleagues deliver an impressive client presentation. Or the sense of rapport and fulfilment I felt from supporting someone in a deeply personal leadership coaching conversation.
These moments of inspiration are so important to us all as human beings. They energize us and charge us with a sense of excitement about life and all it has to offer. But given their power, it fascinates me that we know so little about how to access them. Do they just happen by chance? Is there anything we can do to experience them more often and more intensely as our lives unfold?
These questions are particularly important for people who take on the responsibility of being leaders. We live at an extraordinary, turbulent time and we need brave individuals throughout our organisations and communities to step up and help shape the world around us in positive ways. But the pressure and scrutiny on leaders has never been more intense, so inspiration is not just a luxury. It is vital if people are to make the valiant leadership efforts required and for them to inspire, in turn, the people they need to engage along the way.
It was for this reason that I set out on a research project two years ago to explore how people discover and maintain their inspiration as leaders. My initial focus was on people in senior corporate leadership positions. However, I was so intrigued by the findings that I extended my interviews to include a much wider variety of leaders, in spheres such as sport, the arts, education, religion and the armed forces.
The findings to date are captured in my new book, The Inspired Leader. But whilst the book is completed, my search for learning and insight is not. My intention is to use this blog to elaborate further on some of the key themes and ideas the book contains. I will also use the ‘Your Inspiration’ section of this website to share the stories and experiences of a broader selection of leaders. In the Gallery, I will make available more thought-provoking quotes and pictures of the kind featured in the book.
My goal is that by blending the material in the book with this ongoing provision of stimulating ideas and resources, I will provide a valuable source of inspiration for leaders. I hope that you personally will enjoy joining me on the quest.