How do you inspire someone? How do you get your employee, or your friend, or your child excited to put in the hours, sweat it out, and do what it takes to accomplish something memorable?
I think a lot of people have this question. A google search for 'how to inspire' turns up 18,100,000 results, with the top one being a Business Week post on 'How to Inspire People like Obama'. It talks about rhetorical devices, body language, and vocal delivery. What this and so many other management articles about inspiration seem to miss is that in order to be inspiring, you must be inspired.
Obama is not inspiring to people because he phrases things in a particular way, or says things with the right tone of voice. Sure, those can help, but the reason Obama is so inspiring is because his message rings with belief and honesty. He is inspired by his vision, and so by sharing it, we become inspired.
There are other effects as well. When you are inspired by the message you are trying to convey, you become more eloquent and passionate in how you talk about that message. I have never written better than during the late days of the 2008 primary campaign, trying to bring myself and others across the finish line to make Obama the Democratic nominee. I was inspired by Obama, and by the heroic efforts of all of the other volunteers who were trying to get him elected, and due to that inspiration I was able to inspire others.
So if you want to succeed in inspiring people, believe in your message! Find a vision of the future that inspires you, that makes you hopeful, and start telling the story of that vision. And if you're not doing something you believe in, perhaps its time to start doing something else.
Crossposted from A muse; me