Connectors Inspire People
ByChapter 9 Synopsis
Connectors Inspire People
When someone begins to communicate with others, the first thing listeners do is start asking questions at a subconscious level. They want to know what’s in it for them. They want to know if the speaker is credible. But they also care about how the person communicates with them.
As I have watched effective communicators inspire people, I have come to the conclusion that there is a kind of formula, which I call the Inspiration Equation, which comes into play. It works like this:
What They Know + What They See + What They Feel = Inspiration
Do people know that you care? That you understand them? Can they see that you are credible? That you live what you say? Can they feel your passion for your message and your confidence in yourself and them? When a communicator is able to bring all three factors into alignment, it creates a synergy that inspires people. And from that place of inspiration, you can often lead people to take action.
Norm Lawson tells the story of a rabbi and a soap maker who went for a walk together. The soap maker said, “What good is religion? Look at all the trouble and misery of the world! Still there, even after years—thousands of years—of teaching about goodness and truth and peace. Still there, after all the prayers and sermons and teachings. If religion is good and true, why should this be?”
The rabbi said nothing. They continued walking until he noticed a child playing in the gutter.
Then the rabbi said, “Look at that child. You say that soap makes people clean, but see the dirt on that youngster. Of what good is soap? With all the soap in the world, over all these years, the child is still filthy. I wonder how effective soap is, after all!”
The soap maker protested, “But, Rabbi, soap cannot do any good unless it is used!”
“Exactly,” replied the rabbi.
According to some scholars, there hasn’t always been such a divide between understanding and action. One linguist says that in up to twenty primitive languages, the words for “hearing” and “doing” are the same word. Only in our modern context have we divided them.
Actor Will Smith once said, “The way I like to measure greatness is: How many people do you affect? In your time on earth, how many people can you affect? How many people can you make want to be better? Or how many people can you inspire?” In the end, what good is our communication if its impact ends the moment we stop speaking? The true test of inspiration isn’t people’s applause; it’s their actions. That’s what makes a difference.
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As it’s been said many times before – may we always motivate, inspire and encourage others in our daily communication.
“May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, my sheltering rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
John,
Getting in on this project is exhilrating!
I did my master thesis on Leadership and Communication and believe in the importance of communicating and connecting.
I have worked for the same company for over 24 years and have been a trainer for New Hire Orientation and am very enthusiastic about our vision, values and people. Many times I hear the feedback from a new employee “you are so excited about working here and it shows in how you teach the class (which is over 7 hrs long)! My heart skips a beat when I hear this because I am convinced that your passion and purpose will always show through and make an impact no matter what you are doing.
My favorite quote on leadership is from John Quincy Adams, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader”.
Even when I am not in a formal role of leadership, my heart knows my charactor, integrity and example can motivate others for positive growth and that kind of motivation lasts… =)
I have much more to say but time is running out…it must be on the next chapter!
Best to you!
Joyce McMurran
As leaders, touching is the answer! A team will gladly follow and tell everyone their “story” when you inspire them to believe in themselves! Each week I try to think of ways to inspire those on our team. They look to me to help them believe, to help them be positive and lift them up. Holding to possibilities! It took 2 years to win their trust , they now let me “in” to their fears and allow me to celebrate their victories. This is synergy at it’s best. I feel this total responsibility to lead and inspire them each week. I believe that I must personally demonstrate competency and keep my eye on the horizen so to position them for success in the future.
They must trust that I am working, watching and preparing for the success now and in the future.
I ook to you to take care of me in this same way ….I have read and re-read your books, you continue to inspire me. We all need our real heroes. Thank you John.
John
Thank you for bringing out all the good in people but also in ourselves. We had the pleasure of meeting you in Orlando. It was truly an awesome event!!!!
One of the greatest examples of a communicator making a connection with a large and diverse audience was the biblical account of the formation of the early first century church. According to Luke’s account in the book of Acts, the early Christian church exploded onto the historical stage, not as a formalized organization or religious institution, but as a “fellowship”. They were a community of like-minded people who were instantly fused together by the inspirational message and call to action delivered by the Apostle Peter. The account goes on to say that these original hearers subsequently “devoted themselves” to God and to one another. Luke describes them in this way:
“Those who accepted his (Peter’s) message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:41-47 NIV)
What is described here is both a sociological and spiritual phenomenon. Somehow, this group of 3,000 people suddenly overcame centuries of religious, ethnic, political, socio-economic, and class stratifications to become a new unified and vibrant social entity. Yet this was no ordinary community. It was not defined by geographic boundaries, citizenship, or even residential proximity. This was a very different type of community. It was a community of faith whose newly shared belief system superseded all prior differences. It was Peter’s ability to take What They Knew, (about the scriptures and about Jesus’ life and death) and make an appeal to What They See (a group of disciples who were not drunk, but passionate about their message to the point of risking their very lives, people who cared for one another and had everything in common, and a community whose lifestyle won the favor of all the people), and challenged them to truly examine What They Feel in light of these convicting facts.
Had Peter stopped there, all of the listeners on that day may have come away talking about what a great speaker he was, but he took it a step further as you have described in this chapter. He seized the moment to “Say the Right Words at the Right Time” and “Give People an Action Plan”. It was ultimately that call to action that resulted in the results I cited above in Acts 2:41-47)
Therefore I submit that despite the supernatural manifestations associated with the early church movement, it was the apostles’ ability to connect with and inspire people that led to the greatest transformational movement of all time… the birth and ongoing development of the Christian church.
THANK YOU so much for the opportunity to preview this chapter of your book and respond! I have been inspired, encouraged, and reminded of so many truths which are so important when connecting with others!
I think the Inspiration Equation is such a memorable concept and a great framework for the chapter!
I have been so inspired by various stories, especially the ones relating to the flight attendant, Abraham Lincoln, Geri Stevens, and the letter you wrote to your doctors. The reference to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was also a great reminder of the importance of living life with passion and conviction!
I also really, really enjoyed the section “People Need to Know That You Have High Expectations of Them.” I loved the idea of seeing “everyone as having the potential to be a “10.” What a wonderful way to encourage people to remember to see the best in everyone around them!
As I have read through and reflected on the chapter, I would humbly encourage you to consider the following suggestions:
1. Whenever possible, revise sentences to eliminate vague pronouns such as “it” (like in “There’s no doubt about it” at the end of paragraph 1 and “I believe it boils down to two things” later in the chapter). While we often use “it” vaguely when speaking, when we write, a pronoun should always refer to a specific one-word antecedent (see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/595/01/ and the sections on “implied antecedents” and “vague reference” at http://www.penandpage.com/EngMenu/gramref.htm).
2. Instead of talking about one’s “inspirational language” (a term which is not clearly explained and somewhat confusing), I think it would be better to encourage the reader to focus on using the specific words, images, ideas, and motivations that will most inspire to others. (As a reader, when I see “inspirational languages,” I want to ask whether there are various types, like Gary Chapman’s “love languages,” and how to determine which one to use.)
3. In the paragraph immediately following “People Need To See Your Credibility,” I would eliminate “however” from the beginning of sentence, then replace “but” with “however” in the next sentence (for better clarity given that you are drawing a conclusion from two different, yet parallel, experiences).
4. In the Geri Stevens’ example, I believe that you need to add the word “a” following the word “nation” (“why America is nation coveted and admired by others”).
5. I think that the chapter would be stronger if Kotter’s description of Dr. King’s speech were shortened or eliminated. Most readers will be familiar enough with the context of the speech to understand the passion and conviction with which Dr. King spoke–and the long, very logical quote seems to detract from the wonderful emotion that you have created both before and after Kotter’s words.
6. I would also encourage you to summarize at least part of the quotation about the American automakers. As a reader, I think the quotation is too long and, at times, hard to follow–and the story would be much stronger if you would summarize all but the final part.
7. I’d encourage you to change one of the two stories which refer to President Franklin Roosevelt in the chapter. While he is certainly worthy of being mentioned twice, other presidents, including Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, were also incredibly inspiring.
8. I also believe the ending of the chapter could be stronger. I like how the chapter focuses on connecting with people to make a difference now–but I think readers also need to realize that their present actions have a “ripple effect” far into the future. At the recent Catalyst conference, Andy Stanley mentioned that we will never know where we have made the greatest difference until long after the event has passed. In keeping with the theme of the story of the flight attendant earlier in the chapter, I’d like to see a greater emphasis on helping people realize that they are not just connecting with others in the present, but also building a foundation for connecting with–and powerfully impacting–others far into the future.
Thank you again for a great chapter, for so many valuable insights in this work and your other publications, and for allowing each of us to participate in your writing process!
Great chapter! I haven’t read any up till this one, but I’m looking forward to the next.
I especially loved the “Action – Inspiration At The Highest Level” section. This quote is awesome… “Some communicators stop there. They encourage people, make them feel good, help them to feel confident, but then they never lead them to action. What a tragedy! It’s not enough to help someone feel good. Understanding changes minds. Action changes lives. If you really want to help others, you need to take your communication to the next level—which is to call people to action.”
That’s what Jesus did. He had servants turn water to wine. He had a boy and 12 disciples feed 5000 people. He had 72 disciples go out to shout the news of the Kingdom.
Jesus gave more than just an understanding of God. He gave an opportunity to change the world because of that God.
Again, great chapter! I absolutely loved it and will check out the next one tomorrow…
-Adam Jones
If you do not influence others you are not leading. If you do not connect with others, influence is out of the question.
This is a great book and thanks for allowing us to preview and give input!
Dear Mr. Maxwell,
My favourite chapter so far! But then, I think I may have said that before. I was touched by your example of encouraging the flight attendant! I know leaders that would be too ‘big’ to do something like that because it is potentially a vulnerable act. But these examples of true greatness have touched and inspired me more than almost anything else. Your writing is wonderful! Your wisdom valid for today. But to have these little glimpes into the ways you live it is such a gift! Thank you!
God has called me to be an encourager and I do this with great delight, and sometimes a bit of fear but I have never regretted inspiring someone to be all they can be. This chapter has really challenged me to grow in this area! Blessings to you!
Trudy
Edits:
Communicators who connect know what actress Lisa Kirk did, when she said, (Edit suggestion: replace ‘did’ with ‘knew’)
Speakers too often have the attitude, This what I think; sit down, and listen. (Missing the word ‘is’ after ‘This’)