Inspiration
When I recently addressed the St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce and guests at its annual installation banquet, I was asked to say something inspirational. I was also asked to be brief, which called to mind George Santayana’s reflection that “[t]o be brief is almost a condition of being inspired.” I considered this charge in the particular context of the audience, which included many of the business and community leaders of St. Tammany Parish. They were there in support of the Chamber and its new board and officers, but in a more general sense, they were there because they care about this community and are willing to devote their efforts to its improvement. Presuming to inspire these people would be analogous to carrying coals to Newcastle, or ice to the Eskimos. Further, I was heartened by Santayana’s remark, knowing that most audiences would prefer brevity to inspiration, if afforded the choice.
Thomas Edison said that “[g]enius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” I think that this ratio may also apply to most human endeavors, and certainly to those that require team-building and teamwork to accomplish. Although inspiration may comprise a small percentage of the whole, I would submit that it is an absolutely essential ingredient: the leavening in the bread, the catalyst to the reaction, or as Reggie Jackson once described himself, “the straw that stirs the drink.” To continue the sports analogy, when Most Valuable Players are chosen, an essential criterion seems to be that “he/she makes everyone around him/her better.” This may well be the essential measure of leadership, and it explains the role of inspiration in cooperative human endeavors. Absent serendipity, all of the efforts in the world will not produce desirable results, without the inspiration provided by leadership.
St. Tammany Parish, and the Northshore in general, is blessed with outstanding leadership, whether governmental, educational, business, community or spiritual. Of course, there are exceptions to every generalization, but I cannot think of anywhere else in the state that compares. In most cases, our leaders have led by example, and in so doing, have inspired others to follow. One of the essential attributes of a good leader is the desire to enlist the aid of others with greater knowledge or skills in specific complementary areas. A good leader will then provide the inspiration and support that allows each individual to develop his/her leadership skills. As an unknown author succinctly put it, “[a] good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader; a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” Happily, this inspiration has unlocked the potential of many of tomorrow’s leaders, who looked around and said that “I, too, can make a difference.”
There are a number of leadership programs devoted to developing leadership potential, including Leadership – St. Tammany West, Leadership Northshore, and the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. These programs are designed to expose tomorrow’s leaders to the issues that will confront them, and also to introduce them to an unsurpassed network of others committed to making a difference in their communities.
As my speech unfolded at the Chamber banquet, I admitted that I drew inspiration from the leaders in the audience, each of whom lead by example, whether in government, education, business, community, faith, or other. Visiting with many of them afterwards, I learned that we think alike in that regard; leadership breeds leadership, and inspiration breeds inspiration. Who knew that it could be as easy as merely getting involved, paying attention and making an effort?