We have all looked at industry leaders like Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg and many other successful entrepreneurs, and thought to ourselves, ‘it seems like all these guys have their shit together at all time’.
Let me break it to you! While I haven’t participated in business projects or collaborated personally with any of these guys, I have worked closely with other distinguished tech CEOs, COOs and CTOs, where I have had the opportunity to look under the hood in the most intimate way. Very often society and followers tend to build fan bases and even ‘worship’ such role models, but never ever forget that these guys are humans too, not much different than you and me. They have their ups and downs as well. And they are not necessarily always on the up.
However, what separates those accomplished tech leaders from the rest is the simple fact that they do have one thing firmed up. They can be defined as a group of highly inspired individuals that use Inspiration to effectively recharge or regain their focus.
As human beings we’re wired to be motivated by default. It’s a standard feature in all of us. The most basic and natural form of motivation that most of us can relate to is making a living. Why do you go to work every day? Think about it for a second and be honest with yourself! You wake up and jump out of bed every morning to go to work because you want to generate the economic means in order to support yourself and your family. In most cases you also want to make a difference in your workplace. If I were a betting man, I would be willing to bet that the majority of professionals are drawing motivation from these two reasons.
Q: Is this sustainable?
A: Probably not!
Q: Does this make greats?
A: Probably not!
Kind of doesn’t make a strong case for motivation, right?
Motivating is one of the most common approaches to leadership. Yet the truth is it’s just NOT sustainable over time. Remember how I mentioned before that we are wired with this trait already? Have you ever wondered why do we need more? What’s that vital ingredient that seems to always be missing?
The answer is pretty obvious but elusive at the same time: What we truly need is Inspiration!
As a leader, being able to inspire people is the most powerful trait you can think of. Having the ability to inspire someone or being inspired yourself is a deep-rooted approach that’s sustainable and one that steam roles motivation. It’s that simple!
I am a person that loves to watch and study documentaries that have some sort of biographical nature, as this type of content always presents a story line of some person fighting against all odds. But most importantly it’s about individuals like you and I. It’s not about super humans nor is it about superheroes. It’s about regular people doing big things while finding the inner strength to overcome challenges that all of us have faced.
I am a strong believer that every human being has the ability to do big things if given the opportunity and the environment to develop.
Q: I bet there are some of you that think quite highly of yourself, right?
Q: I bet you also think you just don’t have what it takes to do what the likes of Elon Musk and others have achieved, right?
A: Most of us undervalue our potential on a regular basis. Being able to overcome this shortcoming is what makes the difference between being that 9-5 person that is motivated by the two main reasons listed above, and those that are fueled up by Inspiration, which drives the execution of their bold ideas into industry-changing companies.
We all possess this untapped capability deep inside that’s being stepped on by a heavy weight called self-doubt. The difference, as simple as it sounds, is to figure out the best way for you to take that self-doubt weight that's weighing you down and just remove it.
Some will have great leaders they can rely on to help and guide them while dealing with this, and other will have to figure out what works best for them. I have had great leaders that have inspired me, and at the same time I have also had to find Inspiration in things like music, movies, documentaries, books etc. The beautiful thing is that true Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes. There is no universal step by step instruction manual on how to get inspired. This is very much part of our unique fabric as individuals.
Some great inspirational sources:
- A sports event. A big come back and a victory.
- Music. A song like “I believe I can fly” from R-Kelly.
- Movie. The pursuit of happiness (one of my favorites).
- Ted Talks. Simon Sinek’s many great talks.
- Leaders we work with that lead by example.
- Our Kids.
- Coaches.
What Inspiration does for us:
- Gives us emotional strength.
- Provides us with fresh new ideas.
- Drives consistent and positive change.
- Power to create & innovate.
- Enables us to see the realm of alternative possibilities.
- Makes us dream.
- Empowers execution.
- Gives us hope.
You can be someone’s Inspiration without even knowing it!
One of the reasons I started writing again is because I was recently reminded by regular readers of my early blog posts of the fact that they used to get inspired by reading my articles. Many insisted that by keeping them updated on my life experiences and providing them with real-life advice, it helped them overcome many obstacles along the way. If I need to be truly honest, all those words moved me deeply. I had gotten so buried into work that I stopped sharing and little did I realize that I stopped inspiring people. I know I reached a small audience in comparison to some of these other influencers, but the point is that you can be someone’s Inspiration without even knowing it. I really believe that and it’s been proven to me time and time again.
One thing to never forget is that Inspiration can be found in the darkest of places. Don’t be surprised if you’re able to find it in between suffering or soul searching.