How Do You Inspire Others?

We can inspire others in many ways. Usually we inspire by triggering a core value in someone.


I work to inspire my clients (personal and corporate) to gain a deeper awareness of their authenticity and to live their life/ run their business honouring their values and authentic self. From this, my goal is to have these people inspire others in their community to live and work authentically. Ultimately we would have a world where people are more accepting of each other’s differences. We would be free from judgement and discrimination.

Corporations have the opportunity to evoke inspiration in their employees and the public. It can start with the creation of a powerful and meaningful mission or vision statement and then followed through with actions and strategies that bring this message to life. I’ve been intrigued by the story of Guy Laliberté and his company Cirque du Soleil. Mr. Laliberté has recently been saluted as one of 25 living Canadians who have made a difference in the fields of business, science and technology, the environment, education, health care and community (see www.twentyfive.ca). Mr. Laliberté has built a world renowned organization whose mission is: “…to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people throughout the world.”

Cirque du Soleil has a very clear, meaningful and inspiring corporate mission. They have gained their status of success by fulfilling this mission with their shows and by continuously raising the bar on the meaning of their mission.

To emphasis my point, I thought I would show a mission statement that lacks inspiration. I didn’t have an example off the top of my head so I thought about a public company that has had continuous struggles with its operational and financial success. The first company that came to my mind was Air Canada (I really don’t know why this company came to mind and I’ve never looked at their mission statement), so I thought I would go with my intuition and see where it led. It turns out their mission statement is: “Connecting Canada and the World”

Wow – I don’t even know where to start. Let’s just say this mission statement doesn’t inspire me to do business with the company. Do you think this statement could inspire their employees? The public? Maybe it’s an industry thing. How inspiring can a mission statement be for an airline? Well, what about this one?

“The mission of … is dedicated to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a

sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride and Company Spirit.”

Can you feel the difference? This mission statement belongs to Southwest Airlines. The message of each mission statement is drastically different. Air Canada statement leaves me seeing an airplane flying to many places around the world. OK – that’s what they do – very specific, very corporate, very cerebral. Southwest Airlines mission statement evokes emotion. There is a drawing people have to this message because it’s about them – the customer. It’s saying “this is how we will make a difference to you and your life”. Southwest Airlines’ job is to continue to make this happen – to have specific experiences and strategies that show their commitment to customer service and like Cirque du Soleil, to continuously raise the bar on what customer services is. Air Canada’s job I guess is to continue to transport passengers between Canada and other destinations around the world.

Are you the Cirque du Soleils and Southwest Airlines or the Air Canadas? How do you inspire your customers, employees, family and friends? I would love to hear.