Leaders must focus on the value in the heart before the value in results.

In the early 1960s NASA was struggling with its space program. Beset with early technical difficulties and labouring under lingering uncertainties about the project's viability America was trailing significantly behind the USSR in its ambition to develop space technology. The notion of taking a man to the moon was a pipe dream for many and an expensive folly for others. The organisation was rudderless and struggling without clear ambition or purpose. 

John F Kennedy was not a man to take second best lightly. This outstanding leader realised the program had a huge potential value to his country in many aspects, but it could not carry on the way it was. His solution was inspiration and vision. backed up by resilience and resource commitment. In one of the most brilliant speeches ever at Rice University in September 1962 he captured the hearts of not only NASA but his fellow citizens. He told his audience. “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard..... because that goal will organise and measure the best of our abilities and our skills. Because that goal is a challenge we are willing to accept .... and one we intend to win.”

He then proceeded to mobilise his nations resources behind his commitment in an unswervingly focused manner to deliver against that vision. Tragically he never saw that vision translate to reality on the Sea of Tranquility on July 20th 1969.

Yet great speeches are one thing, genuine impact is another. How could he know he had won people’s hearts and minds? On a visit to the new NASA space centre at Houston he introduced himself to a Janitor and asked “what do you do?” The Janitor replied immediately, “I am here to help put a man on the moon Mr President.” 

At the other end of the spectrum the impact was just as profound - Gene Krantz, the legendary flight director who went onto oversee the final descent of Apollo 11 to the lunar service described the impact on him. "I believed he fully understood the difficulties before us.....I was ready to do whatever it took to turn his great dream into reality."

What Kennedy had achieved was remarkable. Through the use of Vision from his position as President he had made everybody feel they were somebody within the organisation and they had a valuable contribution to make. It did not matter what their position was, they all felt of value through engagement of the heart in achieving something truly outstanding. The result will forever be held as one of the greatest achievements made by Humans. What happened in NASA was beautifully summed up by Neil Armstrong, “hundreds of thousands of people all doing their job a little better than expected.” That is what delivered the result.

Yet we cannot all be president of the United States and we cannot all have their opportunity to communicate in such a fashion to inspire and make people feel they make a difference. We cannot all be JFK or Barack Obama, or for that matter a CEO of an organisation.

But we can all make people feel they are valued and appreciated and they do make a difference. We can all make people feel they are somebody.......Through basic day to day behaviours. Leaders do not have to be great orators to inspire but what all leaders must be prepared to do is demonstrate behaviours that make us all feel we have a contribution and we are so somebody in the organisation. This comes through....

• Recognising achievement.
• Asking opinions and genuinely listening to responses.
• Acting upon observation and ideas from individuals
• Treating people as individuals with specific needs and challenges.
• Giving feedback - in a balanced way and honest way.
• Giving people opportunity for development and progression in personal capability and career opportunities.
• Accepting responsibility but devolve accountability and resource for action to those that can make things happen.
• Treating others with courtesy, fairness and compassion. 

For the vast majority of us, hundreds of small actions every day, done well, and with people’s hearts in our minds will inspire as powerfully as one big one from a figurehead. Our challenge is to do that everyday, and do it consistently, no matter what obstacles and challenges we face personally. That is the reality of how we add value to hearts and deliver results. There are quite simply no short cuts.

In this way we can achieve the impact on results we desire no matter where we sit in organisations. We all like to be inspired, but we can all also inspire. And the fact is that this is defined by a much more simple set of dynamics than we may realise. Whilst we all like to be inspired by outstanding orators we see their actions far quicker than we hear their words. Get those basics right on a daily basis and much will follow. Treat somebody as if they are somebody through your minute by minute engagement if you truly want to lead and inspire from a deep rooted and fundamental level.

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