What is means when you inspire me.

December 2, 2018
7:00 am

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”

–Antoine de Saint-Exupery

When you inspire me, your impact has a lasting effect

Nothing is more inspirational than saving animals. The work that we do as animal rescuers is inspirational to so many people both within the movement, and from the outside. Like you, I am inspired by the willingness of volunteers to give their time to the animal rescue cause, and I am inspired by the work that people around the world do day-in and day-out to help those without a voice.

But have you stopped to think about how inspirational you are to those you work with and those that follow you? With a few tweaks in your style, you might just be able to inspire the next generation or next wave of volunteers to join the cause and make a difference for animals. Just the simple act of inspiring another can have lasting effects for a long time.

Here’s what happens when you inspire someone:

When you inspire others…

You bring out their best by expecting the most from them

Inspiring others seems to come naturally to some people while others of us struggle with it. But when you set expectations for excellence, standards for greatness and when you continually raise the bar in animal rescue, you are having a positive inspirational influence without even knowing it.

Every day that you rescue dogs or volunteer at an animal shelter near you, is a day that you should expect the most from the volunteers and staff that work with you. Just showing up is not enough. Expect that they have passion, commitment and dedication to the animals in everything that they do and in every person they encounter. We are their voice and we should set the expectations high for the excellent care that they receive.

Expect excellence and you will inspire passion.

When you inspire others…

You challenge them to reach new goals and try new things

How you communicate with others goes a long way in how they go about their activities. Are you supportive and encouraging or demanding and judgmental? Do you challenge your team to try new things that have not been tried before, or do you require a focus only on those things that have been proven to work?

It should not come as a surprise that human beings do not like to change. Why change things when nothing is broken, right? Taking that approach ignores the world around you which is constantly evolving and changing. The state of animal welfare in 2018 is drastically different than it was in 2008 or 1998 yet many organizations are still rooted in the past and sticking to their old ways of doing things.

Allow for failure and you will inspire greatness.

When you inspire others…

You encourage them to stand up for their beliefs

Groupthink is what happens when too many like-minded people work together and sacrifice their individual selves and focus on the group instead. People involved in groupthink stick to the ideas that they all have and agree with, and over time the collective set of people loses their individuality and ability to think differently.

When you encourage people to stand up for their beliefs and their opinions, you are inspiring them to dig down in their soul to find what truly motivates them. Yes, we are all working towards the same goal of compassion and respect for animals, but there are many views, variations and derivations of the goal. Supporting your team to stand up for what they believe in helps challenge the status quo and steer the team away from groupthink.

Reinforcing belief in oneself fuels inspiration.

When you inspire others…

You reassure them to trust their purpose

Trust is not something that is developed easily in any type of relationship whether personal or professional. It is an unfortunate circumstance that many dis-trust everyone that they meet until they become more comfortable that they can trust them. Often this is based on past experiences and we are hardened by those that have harmed us in the past.

Yet we are asking the animals we rescue to trust us, so why are we not giving those we work with the benefit of our trust and the clarity of their purpose? Trusting in someone can provide the reassurance and confidence that they need to trust themselves which for many can be a huge hurdle to overcome. Earning your trust quickly can inspire those around you to try that much harder, and believe in themselves that much more. Trust that their intent and purpose is pure and watch the positive changes that they can bring.

Trusting the purity of the purpose, encourages inspirational change.

When you inspire others…

You embolden them with the confidence to lead

Everyone has the power to lead even if they do not know it. Often you just need to light the flame and protect its fragility until it burns brightly. This starts with listening to the people you work with, whether volunteers or co-workers. Ask questions that encourage them to share their inspiration, their passion and their ideas and then listen intently to their response. Show them that they matter by giving them the benefit of your time focused entirely on them without distraction.

Sometimes all we need is someone to listen to us. Whether someone is blowing off steam, expressing new ideas, or requesting help, acknowledging that they matter and you hear what they are saying can fan the flame and inspire their soul to greatness.