What is The Inspiration Code About?
How do you keep your team inspired? Many leaders answer this question with things like retreats, keynote speakers, pizza parties or “Employee of the Month” parking spaces. While these external things may temporary boost in motivation, they don’t lead to inspiration.
The Inspiration Code advocates a different approach. Inspiration, the book claims, is an internal job.
Facilitating inspiration in the workplace isn’t a matter of picking the right trophy or retreat. It’s about creating an environment where inspirational moments can happen.
Hedges places her focus on the definition of inspiration itself. Inspiration, she believes, always starts with a conversation. As she describes in the book:
“…When I look back, every major move I’ve made has been preceded by an inspiring conversation.”
During an inspirational conversation, something big happens. A person accepts an invitation to move beyond their comfort zone.
Hedges continues:
“The person getting inspired has to become aware of a better possibility. That’s how the process starts.”
How do you start an inspirational conversation? The book has a very specific answer for that, the “Inspire Path.” The Inspire Path is a communication model consisting of four specific qualities. Leaders who embody these qualities, in words and action, increase their chances of reaching (and inspiring) others.
Hedges is an ICF-credentialed leadership coach, keynote speaker and member of the Georgetown University teaching faculty. Hedges started out in the technology and communications industry, opening one of the first tech communications firms in the Washington DC area. Currently, she is the Principal at the Hedges Company and a founding partner at Element North, a leadership development company. She also serves as a regular contributor to Forbes and other publications on leadership and communication.
What Was Best About The Inspiration Code?
The best part of The Inspiration Code is the concrete approach Hedges applies to an abstract topic, “inspiration”. As she describes in the book, leaders are desperate for strategies to inspire their workforce. These leaders know an inspired workforce is a productive workforce now and in the future. Despite this need, there is no defined path to building an inspirational leader. That’s where The Inspiration Code comes in. It provides an easy-to-use framework to help those aspiring to move closer to their goal of becoming inspiring leaders.
What Could Have Been Done Differently?
The Inspiration Code is filled with practical advice on integrating inspiring conversations into your leadership. For some leaders, this may be all that is needed. For others, more detail on skill development would be helpful. The book needs more information about the journey to becoming an inspirational leader for those who are not sure where they fall on the “inspiring leader” scale.
Why Read The Inspiration Code?
The Inspiration Code is a high-energy book designed for leaders who want to make an impact. It is about the dynamics of communication, not the mechanics. This is about communication on a deeper and more impactful level. The Inspiration Code is about something deeper.
The book takes the vague concept of “inspiration” and applies a concrete framework. This allows leaders to become more intentional in their communication with others. As Hedges points out, inspiration is not a random gift bestowed on lucky leaders. It is a specific set of core skills that anyone can work on. If you (or a leader that you know) wants to refine the impact of their communication, this book may be of help.
This article, "The Inspiration Code Helps Leaders Make an Impact" was first published on Small Business Trends
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