As another Mother’s Day comes and goes, I silently reflect on years gone by. Wow, they do go fast! I think everyone that is a mother wishes they could be warped back in time to either relive the great moments one more time or to get a redo on the things that that didn’t go so well.

This Mother’s Day, in particular, I witnessed a charming and helpful exchange between my nearly 15- year-old son and my brother who spent nearly an hour coaching him to be “great”! Having been on the receiving end of those lectures, there was a part of me that wanted to drag my not so little guy out of there. However, the conversation was heartfelt and endearing to listen to and I actually had a take away myself!

My brother advised my boy to watch the “Ted Talks, Know Your Why”. As I zoned out listening to the diatribe between uncle and nephew, I decided a refresher in knowing my “why” would be beneficial.

Simon Sinek narrates the episode and I would highly encourage you to review it.

https://tinyurl.com/MediaCOMInc-KnowYourWhy

In a nutshell, he breaks down leadership and believes you only need one thing to be a leader – followers!

Poor or inexperienced leaders manipulate people to follow them either by power, rank, or influence. But the truly great leaders of the world are those who have learned to master the ability to inspire people. Personally, I have always believed that through strong relationship building comes unmatched loyalty.

Sinek details the history of Apple, Harley Davidson, and Southwest Airlines and how their unique approaches to marketing made them world leaders. It is their inspirational vision, clarity of why, discipline of how, and consistency (in that order) that has built their success.

From a biological standpoint, it is feelings that control your decision making, thus reinforcing how imperative relationship building is.

In summary, it’s clear that to be effective in business as a leader or at home as a leader – knowing your “why” is the most effective way to inspire others to follow. Say and do what you believe and trust emerges. This proves that you are a reliable source. It’s always good to take pause and re-evaluate what it is that is driving you – or not!

Credit: Beki Rainey-Hamell