Whenever I am asked to be a motivational speaker for an event I always tell the person making the request that motivational speakers don’t exist. After the stunned silence on the other end of the phone, I laugh and say, you don’t want a motivational speaker, you want an “inspirational speaker!”
While it may appear that I am just parsing words, the reality is that I really don’t believe that motivational speakers exist because you can’t motivate anyone, you can only INSPIRE them. You see, motivation is internal and must be created by the individual. Haven’t you wondered why you or others leave an event fired up only to see the fire die quickly afterwards? It was because the motivational speaker didn’t “motivate” you; therefore your enthusiasm was not sustainable. Only you are able to motivate yourself!
As leaders we are called to INSPIRE those around us, to ignite the fire of potential and passion that is within every individual. Inspiration is the spark that leaders create in their teams and in their organizations. It requires leaders to be in tune to the needs of their teams and to understand the culture of their organization. Inspiration is the catalyst that creates great ideas, builds great teams, and causes people to want to set their goals high.
Lead through example by seeking excellence and having a clear vision. Then your INSPIRATION will become their MOTIVATION!
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