Inspired Leadership

Recently, I heard a Russian journalist make an interesting comparison between the US and Russia. He said that both Russia and the US believed in equality. "The difference is that in Russia the philosophic goal is to make everyone equally poor, while in America the philosophic goal is to make everyone equally rich."

The historical conditions and the leadership in each culture set up these divers viewpoints. Both countries were driven to revolution by oppression. In Russia the leadership distrusted the natural drives of human nature and thus sought to create equality by suppressing freethinking, individuality, creativity, and initiative.

In America the founding fathers believed in the innate virtue of the human spirit and sought to foster its growth. The Bill of Rights was designed to insured the right of ALL people to rise to their greatest individual potential. Granted, it took a while to get women and minorities included in that vision but little by little 'all' is really coming to mean ALL!

Whether it is a small business owner or an entrepreneurial empire builder it is the vision and leadership of the owner which shapes the enterprise and its ultimate level of success.

Many small business owners simply choose to replace personal income from a job by becoming his or her own boss. These folks fill the rank and file of small businesses. The owner seeks mainly to make a living. Even so, they still have to lead the enterprise, manage customers, employees, projects, costs, vendors and all the other things running a business requires.

The entrepreneur, is one who not only wants to be his own boss, and make a living but who also has the vision and drive to build an empire of some kind. This persons vision includes the ability to build one successful concept on an other. Using money and ideas from one business to birth more and more business entities. Martha Stewart Living and Amazon.com come to mind. As a coach I have the privilege of working with both kinds of business owners and I notice that the most successful have similar inspiring leadership styles.

  1. Inspiring leaders believe in the basic intelligence, honesty and willingness of people to grow and achieve.

  2. By setting up good systems, procedures, training and feedback mechanisms they encourage and foster individual success.

  3. By using an open non blaming approach to problem solving with employees, suppliers and customers, they make sure everyone wins in one way or an other.

  4. The inspired leader leads others, step by step to discover something in themselves which has never or seldom before been revealed.

  5. Inspiring leaders lead by example. They continuously strive to expand and improve themselves personally and professionally.

  6. Rather than blaming themselves or others when mistakes are made they learn from the mistakes, redirect their efforts and move on.

  7. Inspired leaders seek the genius and inspiration of others on all levels. They are never intimidated or too good to learn from someone else.

By using these ideas and principles your too can be an Inspired Leader in your own sphere of influence. Exercise your right to live at your greatest individual potential.

Find a leader in your field who inspires you. Emulate him or her. Ask yourself how you can be more creative and think larger? Build a personal support system that will allow you to venture beyond your comfort zone.

Consider the possibility that you and those around you may be capable of much more than you ever thought possible.

 

 

Joan Bolmer, 2400 Briarwest Boulevard, #1907, Houston, TX 77077; Office 281.293.8864
Copyright (c) 2007-2009, by Joan Bolmer, all rights reserved. Contact Joan Bolmer by e-mail at joan@bolmer.com Website: http://www.bolmer.com Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute this article so long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author is attached.