One of the greatest compliments I have ever received was when a former band student told me that I inspired them to become a better musician. And because of this they were going to pursue a degree in music education in college. Hearing that student share that sentiment truly warmed my heart. It was also vindication that through hard work and effort I was getting through to my students to share with them the wonderment that is music. When I started teaching I never made it my goal to inspire students. I wanted to impart knowledge to them and help them to discover within themselves the ability to meet challenges head on and be able to solve them on their own. As part of this process I knew that I had to find a way to connect with my students so that they would feel comfortable in the classroom environment and assure them that they have a voice. The underlying tone that came from mentors and administrators was that an inspired student will learn better. So we were encouraged to inspire but again for me that was not the goal.
Inspiration is found through observation and connection. The reason the student above had given me this wonderful compliment was because he had seen the way I cared for all of my students; through good grades and bad; through family struggles they were dealing with; through the normal changes of young adulthood; and sometimes through death. No matter what I put the students first. They knew that I cared for them. And because they knew this they felt more comfortable being in my class. There are a lot of television programs of various types that put regular, non-celebrity people in the spotlight. When I watch these programs, whether it is a music competition show, or an athletically based show, I am most often disappointed when people are interviewed and they say that they want to inspire people. Again inspiration is a great compliment but the true test of the human spirit comes in the actions you take. Don't announce inspiration as your cause. Let your actions, good deeds and successes be your focus. If you do this people will take notice and those that are inspired will let you know. Being a leader you have to walk a very fine line between arrogance and humility. Actually let's switch out arrogance with extreme self confidence. People want to follow a leader who is confident and can take charge and make things happen. However make sure you stay humble because someone who is very confident can be mistaken as arrogant and this will only work against you. But when you find that right balance of confidence and humility then people will see the good in you and that is inspirational. Building Leaders for Success is dedicated to educating and providing training and skills that will benefit you, your employees and your business. Check us out on the web at www.buildingleadersforsuccess.com, on Facebook at Building Leaders for Success and on Twitter @Leading4success. Enter your email address in the box to the right to receive these blogs and other offers from Building Leaders for Success.
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10/19/2022 02:42:39 pm
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AuthorFrank Taylor is founder and CEO of Building Leaders for Success, Inc. A musician of 25 years, educator of 15 years and a motivational speaker of 16 years, Mr. Taylor brings a wealth of knowledge that will promote success and fundamentals of leadership. Archives
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