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Book Review: The Inspiration Code—How the Best Leaders Energize People Every Day
June 22, 2017 | Dan BeaulieuEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The Inspiration Code: How the Best Leaders Energize People Every Day
by Kristi Hedges
2017, Amacom
Price $24.95
Regardless of who you are, what you have done, where you have been, or where you are in your life journey, this book can help you to be inspirational. Not all of us are inspirational by nature; most of us are just regular people who have led regular lives. For the most part, we have done nothing dramatic enough to be inspirational just by our very existence.
We did not successfully land a plane on the Hudson river, like Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, or change the world like Steve Jobs, or walk on the moon like Neil Armstrong. No, most of us have just led our lives the best we could trying to help people along the way. If you are one of the regular people—one of the regular people who want to inspire those around you to greatness—then this book is for you.
This book is a systematic manual on how to be inspirational, from showing people how much we care, to listening with intention, to encouraging dialogue. Hedges makes the case that being inspirational can energize those around us to do things far beyond what they thought they could do. She focuses on honesty in conversation and authenticity in what we say and how we say it.
Here are the four steps that take people down the “inspire path,” as Hedges calls it.
From the book, inspirational leaders are:
Present: Focused on the person in front of them, not distracted, visibly stressed, or beholden to an agenda. They’re open-minded and let conversation flow.
Personal: Authentic and real, and listen generously. They know how to find and expand potential.
Passionate: They infuse energy, calibrate it, and manage it as one of their greatest skills.
Purposeful: They are intentional and willing to have courageous discussions about purpose, and role model how to live into their own.
There is even a focus on how to apply these four steps in different situations, whether you're in a one-on-one conversation or giving a presentation to a room full of people.
Frankly, this is a book about good leadership. If you are serious about your role as a leader, or even a team member who strives to get the best from your teammates, this book is a great way to start.
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