Let’s call it out - how many times have you seen “inspirational” plastered across a company’s vision or leadership statement? If I had a dollar every time, I’d have retired by now. Yet for all this talk of inspiration, how often do you actually feel it?
Here’s the rub…
“Inspirational” has become leadership’s go-to word for when they want to sound bold but play it safe. It’s a catchall. It’s wallpaper. It’s the sugar coating on the stale doughnut that is corporate purpose. It’s what we think we should be, rarely what we are, and almost never what actually moves people to action.
Jim Collins (the Good to Great guy) gets it right:
““First, if you begin with ‘who,’ rather than ‘what,’ you can more easily adapt to a changing world.””
And if you mash that up with the CliftonStrengths wisdom from Curt Liesveld “You can't be anything you want, but you can be a lot more of who you already are”, suddenly, the fog clears.
“Inspirational” isn’t a label you slap on a wall. It’s what happens when you build from who you are.
Look, it’s not that inspiration isn’t valuable. Done right, it’s rocket fuel.
Let’s be honest.
What passes for “inspirational” in most organisations is just…aspirational. Meaning, it’s ambiguous enough to escape definition, safe enough to avoid challenge, and bland enough to get a nod from the whole table - whether or not anyone actually believes it.
Sound familiar? Welcome to Buzzword Bingo (or, as I like to call it, BS Bingo). The moment we lose clarity and authenticity, the “inspirational” label goes from catalyst to camouflage.
And the cost?
It’s not just some fluffy culture issue. It’s trust, performance, and reputation on the line.
Best case? Your people roll their eyes, smile politely, and get back to work.
Worst case? The gap between what’s said and what’s actually done grows into a chasm. Customers notice. Teams drift. Trust is quietly eroded. Suddenly, you’re not just UNinspiring - you’re irrelevant.
So, what’s the move?
Stop chasing “inspirational” as a status to attain and start getting forensic about who you actually are as a leader, as a team, as a business.
Get curious. Get uncomfortable. Build from the inside out, not from the slogans down.
Here’s a reality check…
I’ve sat in too many executive sessions where “inspiration” was the word of the day, and by lunchtime the only thing that felt remotely inspiring was the catering. The organisations and leaders who actually inspire are the ones who know their own DNA and make damn sure their behaviours line up with it.
Want your purpose statement to mean something? Give “inspirational” an asterisk and a definition:
What does it look like here, for us?
How do we show it, every day?
How will we know if we’re doing it?
Sporting analogy time (because, let’s face it, they just work)…
The star players, the support crew, the water carriers, the folks in the stands - they all play a role in making the match. A great game doesn’t happen because someone wrote “inspirational” on the team whiteboard. It happens because everyone knows who they are, what they bring, and why it matters.
So here’s my dare
If you’re serious about leading an adaptive, future-fit business, scrap the generic labels.
Start with who.
Own your strengths, your quirks, your real competitive edge. Then - and only then - decide what inspiration looks like for your world.
Define it.
Live it.
And if you’re not ready for that level of honesty?
Well, keep playing Buzzword Bingo and hope your competition doesn’t catch on.
Or, if you’re ready for the kind of work that actually changes the game, you know where to find me.