7 Key Elements to Inspire

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

-Maya Angelou

Most people can remember people that brought them inspiration at some point in their lives. Sometimes that inspiration came from a movie, a video, quotes, and sometimes that inspiration comes from people we meet in our lives. It is likely that this person inspired you to take action for a cause, a vision or inspired you to take action to improve yourself or helped you get through something difficult. We may meet only a few people in our lives that truly inspire us. However, those inspirational moments can have profound impacts in the form of changed individual behavior, buy in into an idea, or the following of a vision. 

We all want, like and need to be inspired, this desire is embedded in our human nature and we are drawn to people who can help us find this inspiration we naturally long for. 

From my experience, I have found that there are 7 elements common in the inspirational moments I have personally experienced and given to others. These 7 elements seem to be consistently present in inspirational people and speeches, and I believe by incorporating some or all of these elements can help you to become that inspiration person you ought to be for the sake of your family, company, friends, and society. 

One can be inspirational in the form of a speech or in the manner that one carries himself as a leader. Watch out, you may even be inspired by this!

1- Come from a place of care in a genuine manner

By coming off as someone who truly cares about the well-being of the people being led, you ensure your message is taken as genuine. The fact that you care brings more credibility to your message and sends the message to the recipients that this message is being delivered for my (recipeint's) benefit, so I should really take this in. 

2- Tap into something inside that makes everyone believe that anything is possible

Your words and actions must tap into something deeper inside people and give them a sense of belief that anything is possible. We all want to believe we can achieve what we want, we like to dream, and sometimes all it takes is a slight jolt in the right nerve to bring out that inner creature in us that has driven us to invent planes, trains and automobiles. Believing in oneself to be able to do something, is the first step in taking action which is the ultimate goal of inspiring. 

3- Give people the opportunity to make a choice

By giving people an opportunity to make a choice you inspire action. However, one key component in a successful delivery of this is to not give all of the answers, instead put enough nuggets out there for people to go for what they want. By leaving it open, you let people ‘choose’ their ultimate destiny and they are in the driver’s seat of their potential success. 

4- Show vulnerability to humanize your own replicable success

By showing vulnerability people will trust you and people listen to people they trust. In addition, by humanizing your lack of perfection, people will see that the success being targeted is possible even by people who have made mistakes before or know they will make future mistakes. This is clearly illustrated when Thomas Edison stated that he failed 1,000 time before inventing the light bulb, when Michael Jordan stated that he missed 9,000 shots in his career, or when Bill Gates states that he dropped out of college. 

5- People buy into the person not the vision

This one is simple but worth mentioning. One reason why we latch onto & are drawn to positive people, is because they make us feel good. Similarly, if you are a complete jerk, unapproachable, or come off as focused on self-interest, no matter how great your message is, no one will follow you or your vision. John Maxwell says it simply, “People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision."

6- Target the heart not the mind

We often impress ourselves with our numbers, fancy methodologies, and big words however, this will not inspire. To inspire one must create excitement and touch that element inside us that makes us tick and this is best accomplished by using basic and simple yet, inspirational language. By throwing numbers at people you go straight for the Neocortex part of the brain (used for complex rationalization) without going through the gate-keeping Reptilian brain (instinctual/emotional). No one will be impressed but you, by doing this, save the numbers and fancy frameworks for meetings, strategies, and decision making, not for creating inspiration. 

7- Cause should be greater than personal glory, greater purpose

This is one of the most powerful elements of the 7 elements laid out here. The reason for inspiring action from people, must be more than just dollars and material things. The cause must be something that is forward-looking beyond short-term gains, but rather legacy-type wins. Long-lasting inspiration are wins that can lead to transformational results in an industry, a better lifestyle for future generations of family, ability to make societal change, or simply put a happier life for you and those around you. Ensure to instill a sense of responsibility in the target, people are counting on the person to take action; again the cause is greater than personal glory, there is a greater purpose. 

We all desire to be inspired. I challenge you to lead that inspiration. What are some quotes, movie scenes, videos or people that inspire you?