Leaders Make Things Brighter

Leaders make things brighter for the people around them. They are influencers who shine with excitment while cultivating a captivating culture of hope into their organizations. One of the greatest military commanders in history, Napoleon Bonaparte stated that, “A leader is a dealer in hope.” Unlike the monarchy ruling France during that time, Napoleon understood the importance of winning people over to himself. He knew his soldiers well and called them by name as he walked through the camps. It is said that Napoleon inspired his soldiers by spending time with them and rewarding their efforts. He believed morale made a significant impact in warfare.

Leaders are hope-dealers. They are continually inspiring people to be, do, and have more. Those who are able to brighten the environment they are in are those who will have endless opportunity.

You may remember the movie “Titanic,” produced by James Cameron in the late 90’s. There is a classic scene when the mammoth ship is sinking in which a small orchestra is playing background music on the deck as the people are fighting to survive. The band plays all the way until the very last moments before the ship completely sinks into the Atlantic Ocean. This depiction of the musicians in the movie is actually a true representation of what happened that dreadful night.

The eight member orchestra was made up of second class passengers who were contracted out by the British shipping company, White Star Line. They boarded at Southampton ready to perform their best. Little did they know that this would be their last performance. After the ship hit the iceberg and began to sink, the musicians assembled together to play background music in the lounge to calm the passengers. As the ship sank deeper into the Atlantic they moved out to the forward half of the deck boat and comforted the masses with beautiful masterpieces as the passengers boarded the lifeboats. They musicians all went down with the ship playing until the very end. In his book “The Valiant Musicians, World Military Bands,” Jack Kopstein wrote this quote from one of the second class passengers recount of the experience, “Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of undying fame.” This heroic act of bravery displayed the heart of a true leader. They truly gave their all to create a better environment for the passengers even in the midst of chaos. These men understood the importance of using their ability to make things brighter for those around them.

Here’s how to make things brighter as a leader…

1) Be Passionate

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Passionate people are influencers. They have the ability to do what they do with flare and gusto. They don’t perform out of ego, but rather out of love for what they do. In fact, if you don’t love what you do, you won’t become very successful at it anyway. Passion creates influence. The more excited you are about what you do, the brighter you make the world around you. You have to bring passion to your work. Leonardo da Vinci said, “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.”

2) Be Purposeful

It’s not what we don’t know that holds us back, it’s what we know but don’t do that holds us back. As I have coached many people over the years, the one commonality that successful clients have is the need to simply be reminded of that which they already know to do. I have found that it is not that people are completely ignorant of what needs to be done, it’s that they have forgotten what needs to be done. You see, most of us already have a sense of what would take our lives, business, relationships, or projects to the next level. It’s not that we are completely lost, it’s that we are completely overwhelmed with the vortex of busyness and therefore forget what we need to do. Be intentional about who you are and where you are going. Government official Paul Nitze said, “One of the most dangerous forms of human error is forgetting what one is trying to achieve.” When you lose your why, you’ll begin to lose your way. Stay on target, and help keep others on target as well.

3) Be Positive

Encouragement is an irresistible form of inspiration. People are more influenced by those who encourage them than by those who criticize them. The word encourage is a compound of the prefix EN, meaning to put in or into; and the word ‘courage,’ meaning confidence and strength. To “encourage,” then, literally means to put courage into someone. No one has ever suffered from receiving too much affirmation. When courage resides in someone’s heart, they are bolder, stronger, and more effective in all that they do. Their bravery will push them to overcome any obstacle that may stand in their way. Courage conquers fear and motivates an individual to do things they never thought possible. It pushes them to move beyond their comfort zones and accomplish great things. Olympic weightlifter, author, and speaker, Jim Stovell, said, “You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everyone wins.”

4) Be Personable

Because high achievers are focused on accomplishment, they can easily drop their heads and take off without being aware of what is going on with the people around them. They can get busy trying to move the organization forward and fail to make sure everyone is keeping up with them. But when you drop your head and takes off without making sure everyone is on board, you can lose unity and lose people’s respect in the process. It is like the officer who got so far ahead of the calvary that he was mistaken for the enemy. It didn’t work out so well for him. Build strong relationships with everyone around you and people will begin to value you more and more. The more you allow others to shine, the brighter you become. Douglas Conant, Former President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company said, “Too many leaders are so caught up in the momentum of work that they lose sight of the opportunity to connect with people. I discovered that the more fully present I was with other people, the more fully present they were with me, and the more productive our relationship became over time.”