Who Have You Inspired Today?

Today I had the distinct pleasure of having lunch with General Karl Horst, Chief of Staff at Central Command (CentCom) at MacDill Air Force Base. His firm handshake and piercing eyes were humbling. I knew I was meeting a true American Hero.

His mere presence in his Army Uniform and chest full of stripes and stars was intimidating, but inspiring. He spoke with a spirit of confidence and listened attentively as we went around the room introducing ourselves. He spoke with fondness of his children and with authority on his 40 years of dedicated service to keep us all safe. While you and I battle our daily issues, he is advising President Obama on what we should do in Syria. Probably not something we could solve over a latte. All in a days work.

General Horst spent a career with a strong focus on strategic leadership. How many people have inspired you to go above and beyond? The common mantra in organizations is “I am your boss — hence you must listen to me” (or better still “you must follow me”). The truth is we must learn to distinguish between Managers (as competent as they may be) and Leaders who inspire us to produce our best work. As educators we teach the tenants of leadership, but whether we are producing leaders of essence is certainly debatable. Can someone teach leadership if they are not inspirational leaders themselves? I will let you answer that one. The question remains: who are the people who have truly inspired you? More importantly, have you inspired anybody?

The good General spoke about four key pillars of conflict resolution in the international arena: Diplomacy, Information Flow, Economic Incentives, and Military Action.  Unfortunately we take the path of least resistance — Military Action — without giving Diplomacy a chance to work.

What is the cost of a human life? A LOT when it is yours or that of someone you love.

There are no simple solutions when peoples lives are at stake. Unfortunately the people who jump to war leave their own sons and daughters sleeping at home as others fight for their own lives and ours. These men and women in uniform sacrifice time with their families, so we can have dinner at home with ours.

Next time you see a soldier, express your gratitude… they have certainly earned it.