Inspired leadership

Perhaps the most potent tool any leader can have with long lasting impact is the ability to inspire action, rather than merely, command an action. Often, we confuse inspiration and motivation. They are not the same or synonymous. They are different in meaning and context. Motivation largely is an external stimuli that prompts action; inspiration is mostly an internal generation of enthusiasm, to perform. Motivation has a motive; that has to be achieved. That’s to say motivation has an end. Goals set for accomplishing during a given time scale, can be motivation, but it usually has a tag of reward attached, if achieved. Once a goal is achieved and the reward taken, motivation ceases to exist. Inspiration on the other hand is an overarching sense of commitment that isn’t time bound or has only a specific goal to surmount; it is a passion that is timeless. Inspired individuals do not have an end. There is no finish line to cross.