“When the heart speaks, the mind finds it indecent to object.” — Milan Kundera
How do you get the people on your side or inspire a vision or change the world?
First win the heart.
I’m blogging on this because it’s a lesson I’ve learned that shows up in so many ways, time and again.
I see it in thought leaders. I see it in people leaders. I see it in everyday, conversational exchange.
This is one of those ah-ha’s that when it sinks in, you find opportunities to apply it every day to improve your personal effectiveness.
Connecting at the Heart vs. Connecting at the Intellect
If you connect at the heart, the mind follows.
Interestingly,if you connect at the intellect, you may not necessarily get the heart to follow.
It’s why you might hear the expression, “sell the sizzle, not the steak”, or “sell benefits, not features.”
We are really emotional beings at heart.
Go For the Heart
If you have great ideas, but people aren’t on board, chances are you’ve been ignoring the heart.
Change your approach.
One way to invoke the heart is to address core values:
- loyalty
- commitment and contribution
- individual worth and dignity
- integrity.
Inspired Visions Trump Intellectual Ones
Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. John F. Kennedy had a moonshot.
Einstein said imagination trumps knowledge:
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
Inspired visions help people dream big.
Inspired visions win the heart, and where the heart goes, the mind follows.
How Will You Change the World
One of my former leaders is known for inspiring people. For example, whenever I would tell him about a project, he would first ask:
“How are you going to change the world – how will the world be different when you are done?”
Next, he would ask me:
““Who is the dream team you need to make it happen?”
While he couldn’t always get me the dream team, he first focused on a compelling vision and that was inspirational.
In fact, in many cases I was able to get the dream team, because of the emotional commitment to make it happen.
It Works On You, Too
If you know this, you can inspire yourself with skill. Rather than smart talk yourself into something, try winning over your heart first.
For example, if you need to build self-compassion, find pictures of yourself as a kid and remember your hopes and dreams and ambitions.
Vision boards can be powerful, too.
If you want to get leverage on yourself, figure out what captivates you.
What inspires you?
Win your heart and your mind will follow.
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