Inspiration

What does it mean to inspire someone? How do you know if you’re doing it?!

Being inspirational is a funny thing. It’s a title that is bestowed upon you by others. Even if you were to set out with the intention of being an inspiration, you can’t just wake up one morning and say “I’m inspiring!” and voilà! It is so, like changing your hair color or picking a new series to watch on Netflix.

To embody the persona of someone who is inspiring, you must first show up in a way that others take notice of.  You must have integrity, emotional maturity, a drive to achieve your goals and reach them, and an undeniable dedication to your passion regardless of your sense of success or failure.  All of this is important components, but first, you must remember being inspiring is subjective.  There has to be something about the way you move through the world that represents the achievement of a goal someone wishes to obtain for themselves, or simply the act of achieving your goals despite all odds. 

What I find fascinating about those we would consider an inspiration in our lives is that more often than not they never set out to be inspiring.  It wasn’t their intent to motivate others to follow their lead.  They simply lived their life as they chose with a passion and dedication to what they wished to achieve. Nothing more, nothing less.  However, those individuals, teams, groups, and as I’m writing this….horses and jockeys…which cause us to pause, take notice, see something in their achievements that we value, and create a drive within us to mimic their success; they have a lasting impact whether they recognize it or not.

It's a funny thing – I started out writing this blog over a week ago. I kept putting it down so-to-speak, not sure what my point was…where was I going with this.  I feel strongly that a key component of successful leadership is to be inspiring, yet…I couldn’t put into words what I was hoping to “teach” those who may be reading this looking for a glimmer of what they hope to embody to strengthen their leadership skills. I needed a good example to represent what was a somewhat abstract concept due to its nature of being subjective and quite frankly, a somewhat passive “title” bestowed upon you by the outside world with rarely a desire to define it as a key component of your skill set.  “I’m inspiring” seems an odd thing to write on a resume…or does it?

Then, as I sit pondering this topic, I turn on the TV on the first Saturday in May, listening to commentary and “back to you Bob!” type comments as we bounce from one expert or comic relief to another, all while going about the business of cleaning my house, clearing my mind, organizing my thoughts, and hoping to better articulate an example of inspiration so you could put a pin in it, and say “That’s it! That’s what inspiration means”.   While the TV rambles on in the background I start to settle in, ready for the big race.  I’ve heard all the stories as they profiled each horse and trainer, their owners and their unique path that brought them to the derby.  I was fascinated by the underdog.  There wasn’t much provided other than “he barely made it to the lineup”… “complete unknown”…. “In a field of million dollar horses”.  Shoot. There were horses there from across the globe, Japan and Dubai for example. Horses with well-known trainers, from well-known barns.  There were jockeys in the lineup that had won the Derby multiple times! We all knew their names.  Then…there was the underdog.  Like some high school basketball player from mid-town Ohio who showed up to try out for the NBA. Who is this kid?!

I was half tempted to put money on him just to appease my sense of humor. I thought “wouldn’t that be a kick if he won…a big middle finger to the elite…”.  Well kids, I’m sorry to say I didn’t follow that urge.  Then it happened.  I watched him quietly, skillfully, reading the pack, finding his opening, taking his opportunities when the window opened before it closed again, maintaining momentum. He didn’t really speed up in the first mile, he simply maintained his pace. How did he get ahead? Well, the first quarter mile the other horses started at such a swift pace hell-bent to lead the pack, charge out ahead guns blazing, that they ran out of steam.  Then here he comes, just doing what he does without wavering until the last quarter mile when the energy and momentum of that unknown duo of horse and jockey gave it absolutely everything as if their life depended on it.  This wasn’t just another race, this was the culmination of hard work, training, passion, and a dream.   No one else in that pack had the fixation they did, it was apparent that nothing in that moment would stop them.

They became instant world sensations. Everyone knew their names.  Suddenly their story is out front for everyone to hear.  Now all the sudden we hear about the challenges and choices made by the team that got them where they are.  The horse was so amped up after the race and ready to keep going – if you can imagine running your heart out for the longest stretch, passing the best in the biz… and then wanting to continue to run! Man, he still had steam.  Amazing.  As I watched the groom walk him to the winner’s circle I saw the power of emotion on the groom’s face. He was like the proudest dad at the Olympics when his kid wins gold. He was so happy, so proud...not for himself, but for his horse.

It took an entire team and countless small decisions to achieve this moment. The trainer who lost everything and almost packed it in. The owner who took a chance on a long shot. The decision to keep the unknown jockey who rode expertly.  The decision to even show up at the race in the first place.  All of those small decisions that led them to where they are.  Any one of them could have made a different choice changed the course of history, but they stuck to their guns and followed their gut with faith in what they had.  To say that everyone of them is an inspiration in their own right would be an understatement.  I’m sure we could write a book about each one, but that’s a bit much for this one blog, so I’ll try to sum it up.

Imagine you are the jockey.  What must he have been going through sitting in that locker room before the race next to the likes of Mike Smith, John Velazquez, and Florent Geroux.  Does doubt creep in? Do you feel you deserve a seat at the table? Do they even let you sit with them?  Despite what must be going on in his head and in the room, you stand solid in your knowledge of your horse, your training, and your talent; on equal footing with the others in the field.  Except, it wasn’t equal.  When you consider pole position – his horse had to take more strides than any other horse in the field.  

The entire team is inspiring, however, here's why I believe the jockey became an immediate example of inspiration in particular as it relates to leadership: He was in partnership with his horse. He looked for opportunities and his horse trusted him to guide them there. He was analytical, taking in their surroundings and looking for an opportunity. He placed his horse where he knew he would perform best, and when it came down to it, he took the opportunity to go into the rail at the last turn which saved him a few paces before swinging out again, and the horse never lost a step due to the mutual trust and keen assessment of the jockey.  In the last moments, the passion and drive the two of them had was lockstep. You could see how badly they wanted it, and it paid off.   

I guess that kid from Ohio did make it to the NBA after all.