HEALTHY LIVING n INSPIRATION

By Alexia Written

How I feel when inspired and empowered is similar to how I feel when eating that chicken soup. Empowerment reignites the flame of willpower within us. It takes us out of our heads and reminds us of our life’ s purpose. Inspiration gives us the opportunity to reconnect with ourselves. It realigns us with our goals, dreams and aspirations. The word empowerment is defined as the ability to“ give power or authority to something. To make someone stronger, more confident especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.”

The question is how does someone go from receiving inspiration to being the one who inspires and empowers others?

Like my mom’ s chicken soup, there are several ingredients or elements that must come together for the dish to be complete. The base of every good soup is the water. Some may use a type of broth but either way, the true foundation is water. Becoming a woman of empowerment stems from a strong foundation in leadership. Good leadership skills is the essential ingredient to becoming a leader who inspires and empowers. According to Michael Hackman, the author of Leadership: A Communication Perspective, there are three main elements that work together to create a strong leader.

1. YOUR IDENTITY Identity defines us but often gets lost. There are so many reasons why people give up their uniqueness and conform to the expectations of others … some conform due to their age, believing that they are too old or too young to achieve their goals. Others give in to conformity because of their level of education. Les Brown and Lisa Nichols, two very well-known motivational speakers, at one time felt unable to follow their dreams due to not having a college degree. Phrases such as,‘ You are too old to be doing that’,‘ Get a job with benefits and you will be fine’, etc. are some common phrases that cause people to lose their identity and conform to the status quo. Having the ability to empower others through leadership is about knowing your true identity. The ability to empower others starts with that knowledge. On the surface, we all have a name that was given to us by our parents. We know where we were born or where we come from. But true identity goes deeper than that. Who are you really? How you really feel about yourself? Are you easily dismayed? Why or why not? What type of person are you and why do you believe that? What are your flaws? What are you doing to resolve them? What are your gifts? Do you know what to do with them? Understanding your identity will create the path for others to know the real you.

2. ACTION Whether you are in the social media spotlight, driving on a highway, or standing in line at the grocery store, you are on stage. We live in a world where everything is visible. With the internet at our fingertips it is plain to see that our world is heavily influenced by visibility. Leadership is about taking action and making that action visible. What are you doing that will positively influence those around you? Your actions should line up with who you are.

3. WORKING WELL WITH OTHERS Working well with others is imperative to strong leadership. Once a very common practice, unity in leadership is not as common as it once was. We live in a very individualistic culture. This type of culture has become so prominent, in fact, that there are laws to protect those that help others. The Good Samaritan law is a prime example of how far we have strayed from working in unity with others. Working well with others is essential to developing positive influence as a leader. Organizations of all types have a higher rate of success when following the concept of collectivism rather than individualism.

In order to be a person who empowers and inspires you need to be conscious of, and comfortable in, your own identity. Those who lead typically do not conform to society’ s expectations about who they are and what they should do. They are not easily dismayed. They are on the front line taking action and setting the tone for others to follow. Those who have the power to inspire are not afraid of a challenge. They are courageous enough to break down barriers and create solutions. By staying true to one’ s self, like a current in the ocean they create a path of positive influence for others to follow. By following their personal vision, they empower others to have vision.

As five-star, World War II general Douglas McArthur said,“ A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to others. He or she does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his or her actions and the integrity his or her intent.” n

18 IBA Success Magazine n VOL 4, Issue 3