I believe in the power of seemingly small things. The beauty of a sunset, the comfort of a cup of coffee early in the morning, and the power of inspiration. Inspiration is a wonderful thing. It can come out of nowhere and strike with surprising strength. It can drive people to new heights.

Personally, I love reading about the achievements of others. Seeing how people access the greatness that lies within us all is something that inspires me. Inspiring people make me want to test my own limits and see what I can accomplish.

Inspiration is good for getting people’s motors running, but it’s important for two other reasons. People remember who inspired them, and they feel a bond with them.

Leaders should be able to inspire their workers. It will lead to better work overall, but it will also influence workers.

Think about the last person you felt inspired by. I’m willing to bet you spent at least some time learning about them, or telling someone else about them. You were excited by what they made you feel, and you were eager to go achieve something.

Wouldn’t you like to be that person for someone else?

A truly great leader will encourage and inspire their workers to reach for the stars. If you want to see your employees work hard, you have to work hard. Those stories I like to read, about other people’s accomplishments? You can bet they all have a hefty dose of hard work in them. Rather than be turned off by them, it makes me want to work even harder.

Be that story for your employees. Let them go home to their partners and say ‘My boss was the first in their graduating class and is always the first one in the office. Their hard work has really paid off. If I work like that, I can be where they are now.’

That kind of sentiment will breed some pretty amazing things. That worker will want to stick around, to see what you do next. They’ll want to bring you the best work they can, to seek out your approval. They’ll be more creative, to try and generate something that will blow your mind.

And meanwhile, you’re putting in the work on your end. To be inspiring is to be inspired. The more your workers put in, the more you should want to reward them and move the office to the next level. In that kind of environment, incredible things will happen. I’m getting inspired just thinking about it!