Here’s my email from 10/7/13 to Leadership Reno County alums:
With all that’s happening in our world today, I thought it would be good to reengage one of those helpful cards from the Kansas Leadership Center today. This one, in particular, had a very relevant subject matter: Inspire A Collective Purpose. Here’s a recap:
How do you inspire a collective purpose?
· Make the goal attainable. Your purpose may be lofty—the work of a lifetime, perhaps. Keep people energized by breaking it into achievable chunks.
· Build trust along the way. Allow time and space for shareholders to share stories and ask questions. Create space for people to be heard.
· Engage others. Look for people who share your purpose. Ask how they want to be involved.
· Ignite imaginations. Build momentum by inviting everyone to dream, contribute and create a shared vision.
· Take action. Nothing is less inspiring than a whole lot of talk and no action. Harness the momentum by starting to experiment and make progress.
Why is it important to inspire a collective purpose?
One person can only do so much. Together—with a shared purpose and through collective action—we can achieve so much more. When we work together for the common good, we constantly exceed our expectations for strong, healthy, prosperous Kansas communities.
One person can only do so much. Together—with a shared purpose and through collective action—we can achieve so much more. When we work together for the common good, we constantly exceed our expectations for strong, healthy, prosperous Kansas communities.
What does inspire a collective purpose look like?
· Our purpose is broad enough to unite diverse factions.
· The group is building a common language.
· We stay inspired by celebrating success, large or small.
· We use everyone’s talents and assets to help make progress.
How many people does it take to inspire a collective purpose?
Leadership starts with you and must engage others. Don’t wait until you’ve gathered a crowd to start talking about what you care about and looking for others who want to get involved.
What does inspiration have to do with leadership?
“Inspire” means “to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence.” Something got you fired up. Now you must motivate others through your words and your example. If you hope to make progress on a daunting, adaptive challenge you cannot do it alone.
(Based on experiences shared by KLC Alumni in a February 6, 2013 “On the Balcony” conference call, hosted by KLC President and CEO Ed O’Malley.)
So, tying all this together, what one thing could you do to engage others this work and help inspire that collective purpose? Let’s do that thing, then, so that we can be happy together, moving our community forward.