“Touch a persons brain they’ll remember for a a while, Touch a persons heart they’ll remember forever”
– Gary Lyng
The sixth U.S President, John Quincy Adams spoke many memorable quotes, however there is one that stands out most demonstrating emotional insight, and the understanding of real leadership. When I first read this quote below, suddenly my current and past roles gained greater meaning as I realized what was most gratifying more than any business wins, any amounts of money, or other, it is now and always was and will continue to be simply “To Inspire”.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader”
– John Quincy Adams
I came across both a presentation and quotes from when I listened to a Simon Sinek Ted Talk, ‘Leading with Why’. This also gave me profound cause to look back over the years and discover where I have also lead with ‘Why’, and happy to reflect I had been practicing this as part of my natural engagement in leadership and of course marketing of products without realizing it.
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply improves what you believe”
– Simon Sinek
It is quite amazing now to think that how too often, the obvious to some is hard to identify and put into action. One example is when I worked at a large storage company in the Bay Area some years back; there was a large colorful poster in the hallway depicting many of the products, their features, specifications and more, of which I can hardly recall much of the content at all, however at the very bottom a small amount of text describing how the storage solution aided in finding bone marrow donors and I still remember much of to this day.
Lesson here is that they had the content upside-down, the headline should have been how this storage company aided in saving lives or rather doing good, however the technology lead company was blinded by their own technology pushing what they deliver vs. what is possible and touching the reader with an emotional impact.
“Touch a persons brain they’ll remember for a a while, Touch a persons heart they’ll remember forever”
– Gary Lyng