Leadership Viewpoint

We all seek inspiration. Some of us find it from a beautiful sunset, others from a brilliant comment in a difficult situation; still others don’t seem to find it. We’d all like to capture that moment of inspiration and hold onto it. It gets us going and serves as a natural high. Yet inspiration is merely the spark; it only burns momentarily unless it is fed with hard work and persistence. After leaving my corporate job in brand management 15 years ago, many people commented that the life of an entrepreneur would be quite difficult, that there would be nobody there to ‘motivate’ me. After seeing me successful in my corporate role, it seemed impossible to them that I would also be successful in a role that is so different. Still, I went off on my own and with little more than a hope and a prayer, started the Advanced Leadership Group. Like all businesses, it has had its ups and downs. Yet there has rarely been a day when it wasn’t exciting to see the spark of an idea in a participant’s eye; when witnessing someone’s improvement in public speaking didn’t move me; or when developing strategy with executives didn’t flood my mind with ideas. Clearly the decision to work with like-minded colleagues on improving human performance has been the right one. It has made the hard work and persistence fun and worthwhile.

Finding your own inspiration can be quite a challenge. For many people, a walk down the memory lane of their childhood is required, allowing them to recall what they truly love. Too often, our work drums energy from us rather than repleting it. Our expert in this field, Gailann Bruen, finds that many people have suppressed their inner flame for so long that they have to actually do a bit of research to find it before they can reignite it! She works with them to identify that flame and find lucrative ways to make a living with it well in view. Working with her is fun, especially after somebody has had a breakthrough. She charges in, announcing the news, and a celebration invariably ensues. Her own inspiration is clear to all. No wonder she persists and is happy in her work. Are you?

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