Don’t Underestimate your Inspiration Potential

What’s your “Inspiration Potential”? Often, we managers/trainers/coaches completely underestimate our power to inspire. I just read an article in our local newspaper (link below) that demonstrates just how strong that power can be.

How a Homeless Girl Got to Harvard

Khadijah Williamsa��s mother was last spotted living in a storage unit in Los Angeles. But, Khadijah isna��t living there. Shea��s on her way to Harvard. What an improbablea��yet inspiringa��story. For as long as she can remember, she and her family, consisting of her mother, and her sister, have drifted from one homeless shelter to another. Yet, shea��s still not drifting. And, shea��s not just graduating from high school, or getting an entry-level job, or going to a community college, shea��s actually enrolled in Harvard. (Dona��t get me wrong. Ita��s a terrific feat to go from homeless to a job, or to graduate from anything. But, Harvard?…..)

What aspects of Khadijah Williamsa��s life caused her to veer off the homeless, dependent path and toward higher education? What role did her mentors play?

Inspiration, Tenacity, Belief: A Homeless Girl’s Lessons

1. Be aware of the power of your words
Someone told Khadijah she was smart. In the third grade, she scored in the 99th percentile on a state exam. Her teachers told her she was gifted, and put her in special programsa��even though her schooling was intermittenta��and she moved schools constantly.

2. Help them believe in their unique talents and skills
Khadijah believed in herself because she believed what her teachers told her about herselfa��the positive.

3. Give them the encouragement/inspiration from mentors
Khadijah realized she couldna��t do it herself, and sought out organizations and mentors.

4. Help them keep on keeping on. Never give up
Fueled by her belief in herself and the faith others had in her, Khadijah developed unbelievable tenacity to put herself into programs, stay in school, and ignored the taunts of the other students (youa��re homeless, you cana��t do this, etc., etc., etc.)

5. Help them create a better environment
Even though her mother and sister continue to live the homeless lifestyle, Khadijah has never blamed her relatives or her environment.

Yes. Ita��s a challenging market. But, you have skills the agents are hungry for. From these five points above, you can see the absolute power of the mentor. You have the ability to change people’s lives for the better!

Who/what inspires you? Let me know who and what inspires you and why by putting a comment on either of my blogs on this subject (1-2 paragraphs, please). Simply write a comment on the blog, telling me who and/or what inspires you.

And, the winner isa��a��Ia��ll pick three inspiring comments, and send each of you a complimentary copy of Your Professional Portfolio, which helps you choose your best skills and talents and shows you how to share them with your clients to create loyalty.

Deadline: Sept. 10. Ia��ll let everyone know who wins, and Ia��ll publish the inspirations for everyone in a later newsletter (and probably a blog).

Managersa�� tip: Why not do this as an exercise with your agents? Youa��ll inspire them and re-light the fires of desire so theya��ll be eager and enthusiastic to do what needs to be done to get back into the action.

Read Khadijaha��s entire article here.

Now, go and achieve your “Inspiration Potential”.