Tweet

Help Somebody Today

Guest post by: Michael Hume

Article Overview: The ability to inspire others starts by being inspired yourself. If you are a sad-sack who sees no great passion in life and daily work, you'll never be a particularly inspirational leader. So find a way to turn on your own lights, and keep them lit, and you'll have great potential as an inspirational leader....

Help Somebody Today

The Life You Inspire May Be Your Own We're supposed to help each other in this life.

A lot of my clients aspire to be more inspirational as leaders... that's an aspiration I know a lot about, which is probably what draws these clients to me, and it's one I firmly support. Whether you own your own business, or work as a leader in an organization, being able to help inspire the best in your teammates is a great tool to have at your disposal.

The ability to inspire others starts by being inspired yourself. If you are a sad-sack who sees no great passion in life and daily work, you'll never be a particularly inspirational leader. So find a way to turn on your own lights, and keep them lit, and you'll have great potential as an inspirational leader.

That brings me back to the notion of helping each other. Some of the most inspirational leaders do not carry around an inflated sense of themselves - rather, they're humble people who sincerely like to help others. I've seen good CEOs hold the door for rank-and-file employees, and I've seen managers make themselves emergency babysitters for their underlings' kids. Sure, there are arrogant folks out there who'd never do those things, and there are plenty more who are simply too self-absorbed for the idea to ever occur to them. But the great leaders who serve and help others do it because they cannot do otherwise... and because it inspires not only the receiver of the assistance, but especially the giver herself.

Try every day to find something you can do to help another person. You might be in a customer-service position, and might therefore help people all day long... how often do you truly go the extra mile for your customers, without expecting anything in return? You might not be able to give every customer that kind of effort - we're all human - but you can spot the ones who really need extra help, and you can be the person who truly helps them.

If you're a salesman, some potential customer will walk into the shop or ring the telephone today who really needs help. The best salespeople always embody the attitude that they're there not to sell, but to help customers buy... again, if you can't have that approach with every "lead," try to be generous with your time and energy where it's most needed. I know I'm guilty at times of not maximizing my productivity, spending "too much" time and energy with some prospects who just really need to talk and from whom I will never make a dime. But it's not like I get nothing out of those conversations. If talking to me truly helps my potential client, I know I'll draw inspiration from our time together, and we're both helped.

Times are tough, and experts say it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. You might not be able to make the charitable donations, for example, that you used to make. Don't let that keep you from having the generosity of spirit (and gaining the inspiration) that used to motivate those contributions. We need to help each other... and we need to get used to doing more and more of that as times get tougher.

We'll make it through to better times - much better times - and it'll be that spirit of generosity and helpfulness that gets us over the goal line.

Related Articles
  100 Ways to Succeed #75
  Make something happen
  Did You Get Any Referrals Today?
  Today is the Day
  Two Incredibly Powerful Words
  Shocking Treatment Proposed For AIDS
  If You Were Laid Off
  Does Lack of Confidence Impact Your Productivity?
  Are MLM Companies For Women Only?
  Are You Thinking Too Small?
  Not a LinkedIn Expert Yet? We Can Help
  Did you meet your sales goals through June?
  Those “Good Ol’ Days”
  Profitable Online Business Ideas and the Recession!
  Taking Time to Think
  We Remember.
  If You Don't Like Where Your Parents Were At Your Age - Do Things Differently
  Is This Any Way To Behave In A Restuarant?
  Handy Tips to Help Your Creativity
  Ten Kindnesses You Can Do Today

Article Tags: entrepreneurship, health wealth and happiness, inspirational leadership, personal responsibility



Related Forum Posts
Re: HABIT:... The Helper of Entrepreneur - Hi topeyinka, When I read your post, my thoughts were refreshed with the words below: Just for Today...... Just for today......I will choose and display the right attitudes. Just for today......I will determine and act on important priorities. Just for today......I will know and follow healthy guidelines. Just for today......I will communicate with and care for my family. Just for today......I will practice and develop good thinking. Just for today......I will make and keep proper commitments. Just for today......I will earn and properly manage finances. Just for today......I will deepen and live out my faith. Just for today......I will initiate and invest in solid relationships. Just for today......I will plan for and model generosity. Just for today......I will embrace and practice good values. Just for today......I will seek and experience improvements. Just for today......I will will act on these decisions and practice these disciplines, and Then one day .... I will see the compounding results of a day lived well. by John C Maxwell in the book: Today Matters. I hope that helps someone.
Re: How should a young entrepreneur dress to impress? - Today is not about your dressing, but your web presence. Your traffic to your websites speak more than what you wear today.
Re: Quote of the Day - "People are not lazy. They simply have im - Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a mystery and Today is a gift –that is why we call it the present –Cherie Carter-Scott
Re: HABIT:... The Helper of Entrepreneur - [quote="bmueller47":1xzzk7v2]Hi topeyinka, When I read your post, my thoughts were refreshed with the words below: Just for Today...... Just for today......I will choose and display the right attitudes. Just for today......I will determine and act on important priorities. Just for today......I will know and follow healthy guidelines. Just for today......I will communicate with and care for my family. Just for today......I will practice and develop good thinking. Just for today......I will make and keep proper commitments. Just for today......I will earn and properly manage finances. Just for today......I will deepen and live out my faith. Just for today......I will initiate and invest in solid relationships. Just for today......I will plan for and model generosity. Just for today......I will embrace and practice good values. Just for today......I will seek and experience improvements. Just for today......I will will act on these decisions and practice these disciplines, and Then one day .... I will see the compounding results of a day lived well. by John C Maxwell in the book: Today Matters. I hope that helps someone.[/quote:1xzzk7v2] Thank you for these words. It is already changing me.
Re: What is your EVE Ratio? - You are so right Mary. Today it is a case on instant gratification and it seems that this is the only way that the younger generation understand. I hope that they learn the lesson with what is happening in the financial world at the moment. MichelleJ


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Ask All to Buy!

How to sell a business

Setting Goals for your Home Based Business

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.