Inspiration is a critical first step in leadership.  We must first be inspired to lead if we are ever to be successful leaders. That is a foundational requirement and a fundamental truth. Inspiration requires that we trust that what we want to achieve is good and right. Trusting has to have that basis of validity. We don’t just trust “because”. There has to be a supporting security confirmation that enables us to be inspired to trust. Believing wholeheartedly in a cause, individual leader or higher power are some of the ways we can have that trust that inspires and drives us to think about the attainment of something new, different and profitable to us or others. Being inspired can create a passion within us that takes us to a place we rarely arrive at during the everyday and mundane activities and situations in life. Passion can become a motivator to turn inspiration into action or execution, which is the only way to turn inspiration into results.  Without execution, inspiration is never any more than inspiration. In fact, without execution, inspiration can become inactivity, incapacitation, ineptitude and a host of other negatively connoted states of being.

How then do we ensure that inspiration gets results? There are several steps and actions that help achieve actual execution of an inspiration. Focus, planning, attainable goals, profitable measurements, realistic timelines, vision and appropriate and effective communication are all critical components to successful execution. 

Four additional important concepts to consider while formulating plans to execute out of inspiration are: discernment, bringing our first and best, not putting up with things in the past and replacing chronic dissatisfaction with active gratitude. I believe these areas are important to consider because they require intentional and positive focus and keen consideration of actions.  Without such, how can we possibly 1) be truly inspired to do something of significance, and 2) be able to effectively put in the time and effort required to plan and execute on an idea.

1. Discernment: judgment, understanding, insight and enlightenment. 

Understanding where our inspiration is coming from and what our vision for success is, requires discernment. Without it we will either be led or we will lead ourselves astray. Deep-rooted purpose and intent begin with understanding, insight and enlightenment. When those three are accomplished we can then make sound judgment to act upon our inspiration and roll our ball of intent toward the goal line. So we first must have clear vision – coming from total knowledge – then we can act with integrity, focus and wisdom toward getting our job completed successfully. The point being, we should never (to use an old adage)” shoot from the hip”. We need to know before we go. Then and only then can we construct the steps to take us to the targeted destination. And every step along the way we need to continue to maintain that state of “enlightenment” to enable us to proceed with wisdom. Thoughtful planning based on ample information coupled with sound judgment will provide a much more secure foundation for success.

Of course, there is no guarantee for success and no guarantee that a path won’t need to be altered to get to the targeted destination. That in itself is sufficient evidence of why discernment is necessary to successfully accomplish our vision for success. If we can’t handle change in the midst of our mission, we will surely get derailed and potentially defeated.

2. The second concept to consider has to do with bring our A game to the mission. Bringing our “best and first” really means putting forth our very best effort from our ability to our passion.

 If we consider art, science and passion all part of the execution of our vision and not just our inspiration, we need to orchestrate everything together to the very best of our ability to attain the desired results and reach the targeted destination. Second best, good effort, sort of into it, and an attitude of “if it works out ok, if not, no big deal” are approaches and thoughts that simply do not make the grade and will not produce our best. I had a college professor once who taught me a little bit about selling and he demanded an “all out, all the time” effort from his class. If we didn’t give him that, chances of doing well were eliminated. My first class with him was Salesmanship. He was known proverbially as a “ballbuster”.  I meekly fell in love with the guy because he helped crack the shell that I lived in and dumped me out on the floor to stand on my feet alone, explore new worlds and seek new identity. I began at that time to learn the value of bringing my first and best efforts to the game. As a side note: I achieved an A in the class. 

3. Not putting up with things in the past is a concept that stops me dead in my tracks. I, for one have lived in my past allot. Another old saying “the older I get, the better I was” seemed to be something that I enjoyed. I think it was Father’s Day when I decided the past was just that – the past.

Our past can teach us, but our past can also be a millstone around our neck. Speaking specifically about business, just for a moment, think about past mistakes. Now stop that process and look forward. Past mistakes should be learning lessons but not millstones.  Failing forward is a critical stepping stone to succeeding. John Maxwell suggests that the difference between average and achieving people is how we deal with failure. I truly believe that. I don’t know about you, but I hate regrets. I hate looking back at mistakes I have made and warnings I failed to heed. Those should be lessons learned. What I also hate are those situations that my mind is attracted to like a magnet that embarrass me, dent my confidence and give my feelings of fear and insecurity. So what I do with those is “ditch them”! 

There is a very old saying “if the shoe fits wear it”. A few years ago at the character-based, family-included high school that our youngest son attended, I learned an addendum to that old saying – “if the shoe doesn’t fit, throw it away”. The past can become like an old pair of shoes. As we age, grow, shrink or whatever it is that we do, shoes tend to become tighter or looser fitting or in some cases, simply lose their appeal to us. That occurs not because of the shoe itself, but because we have changed in some way. So, when thinking of the past, think of it as if that shoe. Does it still fit?  If not, ditch it; throw it away. It is a very healthy habit and can help rid us of the millstone effect that the past can have.

On the job, there are many old habits, and many old habits that die hard. There are also many old die-hard habits that need to go. Whether those habits are workflow habits, tradition habits, personal habits or others’ behavioral habits, if they are not helping us or those we are responsible for at work to move forward, they need to be changed or be done away with. Think of it this way: identical products plus identical people equals identical results.  Maybe if we are lucky, that will translate into marginal success, and if not, potentially total failure. So shouldn’t our standard be: identical products plus exceptional people equals exceptional success? That, in application to ourselves and our personal growth and to our team, our hiring and our product offering and delivery may and should require change and continuous improvement.

All great empires in history have become great out of some form of oppression and not because of having the proverbial silver spoon as a launch pad.  All great empires in history have collapsed. They, out of hunger and drive strived for greatness and then after attaining it became lazy and apathetic and eventually collapsed under the weight of their own millstone of lack of desire to continue to be great. One might argue that our own country is on that same path. There is certainly significant evidence to make that argument. Our burden then becomes one of focusing on what it takes for us to develop and maintain standards of excellence through refreshing innovation, change and continuous improvement.  And that will take not putting up with things in the past that could slow us down or blur our vision for success.

4. Replacing chronic dissatisfaction with active gratitude is a matter of attitude and more – it is attitude in motion.

There is a fine line between healthy and unhealthy dissatisfaction. Unhealthy dissatisfaction is really just having a negative attitude that does not include the element of thankfulness. It is constantly seeing the glass half empty and continuing to empty it.  It is in essence taking on the role of victim and seeing the world and all its wonder as something created and existing for someone else and not ourselves, as if we are being singled out and short-changed in the transaction. An attitude lacking thankfulness can be as burdensome as a haunting past or a debilitating disease.  Moreover, it can affect those around us in a similar, unhealthy, negative manner. To me, allowing an ungrateful attitude to cling to me is like choosing to wear a coat in the winter that is constructed of heavy material like lead so it slows me, makes me uncomfortable and keeps me cold. Seems obviously foolish to wear such a coat, doesn’t it? Well, such is the same with wearing around an attitude of chronic dissatisfaction. Woe is me with the heavy burden that no one else has! I don’t deserve this! I am a victim! 

What happens if we all become chronically dissatisfied? We will never be able to be effective in our jobs, at serving our customers or properly leading those we are responsible for at work or home? No! Jack Welch, former GE CEO, had a simple employee rating system. Employees were either A, B or C Players. The lowest common denominator applied to help determine the rating was whether or not that employee bought into the culture. ‘A’ Players were excellent performers who bought into the culture so they were highly effective. ‘B’ Players were those who were not excellent performers but they bought into the culture. ‘C’ Players could be excellent performers or not, but did NOT buy into the culture. ‘A’ Players were highly developed and highly valued. ‘B’ players were given every opportunity to become ‘A’ Players. ‘C’ Players were immediately encouraged (or otherwise) to leave GE. It was all about attitude in motion. If the attitude was negative, it was the right thing for the employee to go elsewhere  Too many ‘C’ Players would essentially create a burden for the organization that over time could have a very negative overall impact.

Conversely, an attitude of gratitude provides a great foundation on which to build success. Positive attitude put into motion is taking inspiration and executing on it. If I am positive about my job, my company, my co-workers and my customers, I will likely be inspired to do well. Then, if I take my inspiration and put it into action, I can help make a good situation a great situation. Identical products plus identical people equals identical results, and could reverse any positive momentum established by inspiration if not developed into identical products plus exceptional people equals exceptional success. That takes positive inspiration put into motion to achieve positive results. 

Always remember, Inspiration without Execution is still ONLY Inspiration. It takes an attitude of gratitude to inspire us to put our shoulder to the plow and give it our first and best efforts and to leave our past burdens, negative learning, experiences and detrimental attitudes behind. Combined with sound judgment and wisdom we can discern a plan and develop a path of execution to continuously move us along the way toward greatness. Without it, we are simply (and in my opinion sadly) subscribing to Einstein’s definition of insanity: doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. That is what the great and then fallen empires of the past have all done.