The Inspirational Leader: How to Motivate, Encourage and Achieve Success

Citation

Bullock, J. (2004), "The Inspirational Leader: How to Motivate, Encourage and Achieve Success", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 239-240. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730410521903

Following the dialogue approach charted in Not Bosses But Leaders, recently released in its third edition (2003) wherein Adair discusses the path to leadership rich in theory and sage wisdom with a young executive, The Inspirational Leader takes the reader to the next level, exploring how leaders motivate others to achieve success. The young chief executive voices fears that he lacks the competence and confidence necessary to inspire others, seeking advice on how to become a charismatic leader. The discussion that ensues elicits contemplation of the nature and practice of leadership, grounded in theory and drawing on the potential within leaders to inspire others to greatness. The conversation is seasoned with leadership principles and organizational theory in a manner that can be easily understood and assimilated. It is supported by examples of inspirational leaders such as Lord John Hunt who led the first expedition to climb Mount Everest and Nelson Mandella who remained true to his beliefs in the goodness of mankind even while imprisoned. Philosophical elements of the discussion explore aspects of inspiration ranging from values and spirituality to humor and hope.

Comprised of nine parts, each ending with keypoints, the book commences with a discussion of leadership characteristics, functions, and levels before tackling the distinction between managers and leaders in part three. The key distinction, in Adair's view, is that while managers are capable of running organizations in the normal course of operation, leaders face the challenge of change. This pivotal distinction is further developed in the examination of need, fairness, and the nature of the human spirit, setting the stage for the discussion of values, purpose, vision, and moral authority in part six. The three final parts frame the essence of inspirational leadership by exploring inner greatness and the effects of trust, morale, motivation, and inspiration, culminating with a discussion of hope, faith and excellence.

Adair uses the parable of flight to underscore his view of inspirational leadership. He cites D’Abernet's Paradox involving the summation of Lanchester's foundations of aerodynamics, Newton's Laws of Motion, and Bernouilli's pioneering work in hydrodynamics and the conservation of energy, as well as the Law of Continuity of Flow, that suggests flight is theoretically impossible. The key, Adair notes, to the Laws of Aerodynamics, is an assumption about the nature of air. By way of analogy, he states that “The parable is this: true leaders tend to make the assumption that people do have the seeds of greatness in them.” Inspirational leaders nurture these seeds, creating an environment where they grow into success.

The fundamental message of the book is that, in addition to being born, great leaders can be made. Adair contends that once a leader acquires the knowledge that there is a spirit of inner greatness in people, the other essential elements of effective leadership can be learned. Inspirational leaders see greatness within others and act and behave in ways that demonstrate this belief to encourage and motivate others to success. Almost as if leveraging Newton's Law of Motion that states, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,” Adair asserts that leaders who believe in the inner greatness of others achieve reactions evidencing greatness from others.

Based in reality versus purely esoteric musings, Adair acknowledges that some people choose not to “live up to the promise within them.” However, he assures the reader “If you trust people, you may on occasion be let down, but much more often people will respond in ways that fully justify your confidence.”

This book is written for all audiences and is especially well suited to individuals seeking insight on how to inspire and motivate others to higher levels of performance and success. As noted in the opening dialogue between Adair and the young chief executive, the book does not provide a silver bullet that creates a charismatic and inspirational leader, but rather charts the course of an introspective journey of discovery of one's fundamental values and beliefs that allow a leader to see the goodness in others and elicit their best in return. It includes interesting and insightful nuggets of wisdom from historical and contemporary sources among academe, government, military, business, science, philosophy and religion.

Adair's refreshing discourse on the holistic nature of inspirational leadership challenges readers to consider the inherent energy of the human spirit and to tap into that power to achieve success.