Chapter IV
Ennobling the Effort
The fourth secret of Inspirational leadership I call "Ennoble the Effort." It is the core secret that separates the
inspirational leader from the ordinary.
To Ennoble, according to Websters, means "to make honorable, or noble in
nature, to dignify". Therefore, to
Ennoble the Effort means to give dignity to the task. It means to give nobility to the undertaking,
to give noble purpose to the objective.
Another definition of Ennoble the Effort is to answer the
question "why". Why do we do what we
do? What is the true purpose of our
striving? Why is it worth the effort?
Those leaders who grasp the essential nature of ennoblement
are those who can motivate their people to great accomplishment using
inspiration, not fear. To truly
understand and use the concept of ennoblement allows the inspirational leader
to draw from his people all that they have to give. Ennoblement leads to Empowerment, Empowerment
to personal responsibility, Personal responsibility to Positive Energy. But it all begins with the leader's ability
to give dignity to the task, to answer the question "why".
That is my definition of Ennoble the Effort. But, as usual, a definition is by itself a
dry rendering of the true meaning of a word, or phrase. There is no secret that lends itself more to
an explanation through example than this one.
There are many, many examples of Ennoble the Effort, as many examples
indeed as there are inspirational leaders.
We will look at several, because the circumstances in each one are
different. In these examples, we may be
tempted to think that they are extraordinary situations inhabited by
extraordinary people and that their experiences do not apply to our own. So, before we go marching off to visit Henry
V, Abraham Lincoln and other like heroes, let's talk for a moment about the
everyday. How can we and how do we
ennoble the effort in our everyday life?
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