Defining Inspirational Leadership
I talk a lot about inspirational leadership, but what is it? How do we define it, and why does it matter?
The word “inspirational” comes from the Latin word, “Inspiratus”, which means “to breathe into”. Before inspiration was used to refer to breath it had a more spiritual meaning, referring to a divine influence upon a person, from a divine entity.
In the context of the veterinary profession, an inspirational leader is someone that is called to a mission even bigger than themselves. There’s a deeper yearning from within to step up, and in the process of doing so they become the change they want to see in others and in the profession. They become a way-shower, lighting the path for others and inspiring others to walk it.
Why does this matter?
The veterinary industry is shifting in a big way. Being a veterinary leader carries more responsibility than ever, and people’s expectations of their leaders are bigger and clearer than ever. A new kind of leadership is critical to the future of the profession. The old school dictatorial / authoritarian leadership style is so out of date and no longer produces helpful results. It has its place in a high stress environment, in emergency scenarios for example, but not in the context of creating positive, nurturing cultures, and engaged, empowered, and more importantly FULFILLED teams, where collaboration, authenticity, and creativity are encouraged.
The leaders of today have massive influence over what happens next, what changes come first, and how quickly that change happens, but a lot is required from leaders professionally and personally to have that influence. They are required to grow in ways they haven’t before, because “good enough” leadership is no longer good enough, because “great” leadership is no longer enough; it’s inspirational leadership that is required of you now, and in order to show up as an inspirational leader you will need to take bold and courageous action in your physical environment, as well as your inner world.
Your impact as a leader will grow as quickly as you do. It’s time to be the change you want to see in the profession. It starts with you.
You might be thinking, “Wow that sounds like one heck of a job Rachael”, and your voice of doubt could easily run wild with thoughts of, “Am I right for this?” or “Do I fit the profile?”
There are many myths about what it takes to be an inspirational leader in the veterinary profession, and I’m going to address those in a separate post, but I’ll just say this – stay open minded, because what you think makes an inspirational leader might not be the case at all.
It’s often the people who (on paper) don’t match the stereotype for a great leader who end up being the most inspirational.
