Inspire Me!

A few years ago at Leadership Summit, Bill Hybels talked about the importance of inspiration for leaders. One of the things he said really stuck with me: as a leader, it is your job to make sure you stay inspired--no one else's.

I work hard at keeping my IQ (Inspiration Quotient) up -- and when things get difficult or challenging in ministry, I need to really amp my IQ up! I find that scripture and prayer are my two best tools. I love reading the narratives of the great leaders in the Bible -- Moses, Joshua, Jonathan, Nehemiah, Esther, Paul... these folks fire me up! And I find that prayer is like fuel -- especially prayer focused on simply praising God for who He is and what He is doing!

I also look to contemporary churches, pastors, and leaders to inspire me. That is why I read a steady diet of blogs written by pastors of successful, fast-growing churches that range from a few steps to many miles beyond where we are --- it inspires me. And it is why I read just about any book on leadership or biography of great leaders that I can put my hands on --- great leaders inspire me.

And then when I need some extra inspiration... I go to a few of my favorite IQ-pumping movies: The Patriot, Bravehart, The Apostle, Air Force One, Rocky, Die Hard... you get the idea.

And then when I really need a big dose of inspiration... I go to Shakespeare. Seriously.

Specifically, I go to Henry V and the famous St. Crispin's Day speech at Agincourt. It gets me every time! I especially appreciate Kenneth Branaugh's version from his film... I love it because it is inspiring without being sappy, motivating but grounded in the grittiness of reality --- that is the difference, by the way, between vision and dreams. Great visions are always grounded in the grittiness of reality; dreams are not. Visioneering leaders get things done; dreamers only dream. I'll follow a leader with a CRYSTAL CLEAR PASSIONATE VISION --- even a huge one! I won't follow a mere DREAM, no matter how compelling. But dreams can become visions --- and that is the work that true leaders do everyday. Translating their dreams into VISIONS.

Anyway, if you are looking for some inspiration today... or want to get a a sense of what fires me up... watch the video below and let me know how it speaks to you...

 We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
 For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
 Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,

 This day shall gentle his condition:
 And gentlemen in England now a-bed
 Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
 And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
 That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

I am convinced that this will be true of those who stood together for the vision of St. Paul's in our early days (of which we still are!) Twenty years from now, as worship in our 800 seat sanctuary in Coventry and in movie theaters all over central and northeast Connecticut... some will tell the stories of what it took to get there... and many will regret that they were not there on our Saint Crispin's Day... (smile)...