Have you ever had a moment when you said something to someone so profound that you thought, ‘Someone needs to tweet this’? Of course, this was before Twitter was renamed X, and only allowed 140 characters. Maybe you did tweet it, write it, or post it to Instagram. That moment happened when I was coaching an executive lawyer one day. At least I thought it was profound….

I said to him, “One of the hardest things for leaders is to motivate people to want something they didn’t even know they wanted.” It just came out of me, like I was inspired to say it. So, it got me thinking about what that really means. Sometimes you say something, then you have to prove it is real. And, it IS real.

Leadership is not just about maintaining the status quo, but about envisioning a better future and inspiring others to join in that vision. Vision and innovation are key qualities that inspire change and growth. A leader with a clear vision can articulate their goals and inspire others to work towards achieving them. They are able to see beyond the present challenges and imagine new possibilities. They are able to inspire people to dream beyond the reasonable.

Here’s another way to see this. I was watching a recent series of shows called The Chosen. This is an inspirational broadcast about the biblical lives of Jesus and His ‘chosen’ disciples. There is a scene where thousands were inspired by a sermon preached by Jesus, and a man named John the Baptist asked a woman what she thought of the sermon, and she was speechless, unable to describe what she heard. John said to her, “It was like you were grateful for food and didn’t realize you’d been starving”. That’s the inspiration great leaders offer others. To want something beyond what could be imagined.

People want to be led by someone who inspires others. How do leaders motivate others to experience something beyond what they think is reasonable…. or even possible? And the word reasonable is on purpose. Nothing worthwhile was ever accomplished by reasonable expectations. Great leaders challenge people beyond what they think is reasonable.

There are at least 3 things you can do.

Simply:

1. Learn what motivates that person, from an assessment, observation, or questions, as well as your own Emotional Intelligence (EQ) assessment
2. Learn how to use that motivation to inspire them to raise their expectations
3. Learn when to navigate for them, or coach them on how to navigate for themselves

What motivates the people you work with and who work for you? I have found motivational assessments are the best source. Simple DISC and Motivator assessments will get you started. I use those in almost every leadership development opportunity.  These assessments help you understand and actually share with you the best ways to communicate with those people.

In addition, doing your own EQ assessment can lead you to what areas to work on, grow in, and learn more about, to support you in leading others.

Observing their behavior can tell you a lot as well. Watching them as they work, how they interact, and asking very precise, specific questions can lead you to the right answers.

One day I was running with a friend, and typically we run side by side conversing along the route. This particular day we had to cross a bridge for which we had to run one in front of the other. I asked my friend if he wanted to run in front as we went across the bridge. He said ‘Yes, I like to run from the front’. Once we got across the bridge and we paired back up again I asked him why he liked to run from the front, because I like to run from behind. He told me he is motivated by people behind him pushing him to run faster. I'm motivated by trying to catch the people in front of me. Simple observations and questions led us to a greater knowledge of our motivations.

How do you use that motivation to inspire people to a higher level of possibilities? First of all, you must be inspired to achieve before you can inspire others. This sounds very basic, but if you are not self-motivated and inspired to greatness yourself, how could you ever inspire others to greatness?

One such inspiring figure is Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, and Pakistani activist. Despite facing numerous threats and risks to her personal safety, as well as assassination attempts, Yousafzai tirelessly advocated for girls' education and fought against the oppression of women. Her bravery and determination have not only transformed her own life but have also empowered countless others to stand up for their rights and pursue education as a means to overcome adversity. She achieved what others could not, and inspired many others to do the same.

My own story is not so dramatic, but I feel somewhat inspiring. Already having been married for a few years and with a young son, I decided to join the Air Force. Not for the reason of patriotism as much as I did it because I had no education, and did not have a very good job. My goal was simply to get as much education as I could within my short six-year enlistment. But once in, I was inspired to gain more education and eventually a Commission as an officer in the United States Air Force. That 6 yrs became 20.

Having completed a 4yr degree over the course of eight years, while working two jobs, coaching kids’ sports, and still fulfilling all the obligations of my enlistment in the Air Force, I was finally commissioned as an officer. And spent the next 12 years of my career inspiring others to do the same. There were at least 19 people in the course of those 12 years, who told me they didn't think they could achieve that dream until they saw me do it. Quite honestly I suppose they thought to themselves, ‘if he can do it anybody can do it!’ Sometimes inspiration is simply showing others what is possible, or beyond reasonable.

You see, I don't think there are limitations to what we're capable of doing. I think limitations are simply predetermined things that people agree to be bound by and then don't allow themselves to dream beyond the reasonable. Many people fight to keep their limitations, even arguing with people about those limitations. And guess what, whatever you fight for…. you get to keep.

There are people who are not as smart as you, not as disciplined as you, didn't have what you have, and still managed to do what seemed to be impossible.

When do you navigate for them or just coach?

As a leader, knowing when to act and when to coach can be a difficult decision.  Setting clear and attainable objectives is crucial when coaching others to navigate their goals. Sure, but what about moving beyond the reasonable? What about pushing to want what they didn’t even know they wanted? By clearly defining what needs to be achieved, and then what can be achieved, you provide a clear direction and purpose for the individual, inspiring them to do enormous new things. Then, it’s easy to coach them to those heights.

Furthermore, setting clear, smaller objectives helps to break down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks. This makes the overall goal less overwhelming and allows for a step-by-step approach to progress. But the [currently] richest man in the world, Elon Musk said, “Try to accomplish your 10-yr plan in the next 6 months. You will fail, but you will be further ahead than the person waiting for 10 years.”

And, at times, you have to let them navigate for themselves and make some mistakes along the way. The coaches never stop coaching. Leaders never stop leading. Even though you step back and let them navigate for themselves you're continually on the sideline cheering and even offering some instruction along the way.

If you are a parent, you know exactly what I'm talking about. We navigate for our children until a certain point in time when we have to let them navigate for themselves. We challenge them along the way. Our greatest desire is to see our children become and accomplish more than we ever dreamed possible. My children are all over 28 years old……and I still coach and lead and cheer…and watch.

As leaders, you should be doing exactly the same thing. The next new group of employees that are onboarded in your organization should be inspired to do things greater than have ever been done before.

If you've ever watched a highlight reel on ESPN or other sports networks, you will always notice that the majority of the most spectacular highlights are when people have to stretch to make the play happen. The leader’s job is to help people stretch. People are empowered because they believe not because they know things. Excuses are for the weak, and responsibility is for the strong. Today is the day you give up the story... The story you made up about why you can't. Focus on what can be done and you'll make things happen period

Leadership is not just about the present moment, but about leaving a lasting legacy and influencing future generations. Leaders who aspire to make a difference understand the importance of their actions and the impact they can have on others.

You can be that person who provides a great meal to feed someone who didn't even know they were starving. You can be that leader who can motivate people to achieve more than they ever knew they wanted to achieve.

You can inspire them to dream beyond the reasonable.

Mark Noon, USAF(ret) is an International Speaker, Author, Actor, Executive Coach, Small Business Owner, Husband, Father, and Grandfather.