Leading with Why – Inspiring Passionate Followers

Inspiring Passionate Followers

I recently attended an inspiring online Enlightened Business Summit masterfully hosted by Chip Conley Founder & Executive Chairman, Joie de Vivre Hospitality - California's largest boutique hotel group.

Chip is the author of PEAK: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow. Conley inspired TED attendees this year with his revolutionary approach to sustainable business.

Forty top business leaders and authors thought leaders offered their best advice for creating enlightened and successful businesses. They inspired participants to make our life, business, and our world better through the best ideas from the frontiers of conscious capitalism!  Simon Sinek, an inspirational consultant from Columbia University who wrote Start with Why was one of the exceptional guest speakers.

What is the secret to creating successful businesses that marry passion, purpose and profits? Ignite peoples passions  by clearly communicating what you believe and why.

Leading with Why

There are as many different formulas for leadership development as there are brands of cereals at your local supermarket.

Leaders who want to succeed should clearly communicate what they believe and why they’re so passionate about their cause, according to business consultant Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (Portfolio, 2010).

Most people know what they do and how they do it, Sinek says, but few communicate why they do what they do.

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy into why you do it,” he writes.

If you don’t know and cannot communicate why you take specific actions, how can you expect employees to become loyal followers who support your mission? Great leaders inspire us when they connect with our hearts and emotions, says Sinek, who presents his ideas on TED TV (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html).

Great leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Walt Disney always communicated their “why”—the reasons they acted, why they cared and their future hopes. Great business leaders follow suit:
•  Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines, believes air travel should be fun and accessible to everyone.
•  Apple’s Steve Wozniak believes everyone should have a computer and, along with Steve Jobs, set out to challenge established corporations’ status quo.
•  Walmart’s Sam Walton believed all people should have access to low-cost goods.
•  Starbucks’ Howard Schultz wanted to create social experiences in cafés resembling those in Italy.

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to help develop inspiring leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders develop a more sustainable business? Enlightened leaders use their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to create purpose-driven workplace cultures.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Do I passionately communicate what I believe and why?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching for collaborative leaders who are curious about creating enlightened businesses.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create a happy and prosperous business enterprise where everyone is fully engaged. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist and executive coach. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.
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