Adam Galinsky is a social psychologist and professor of leadership and tthics at Columbia Business School. He conducts behavioral science research, having published more than 200 scientific articles. He has been a damage expert in numerous defamation cases and is also a producer on two documentaries shortlisted for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards.
What’s the big idea?
Every leader leaves their mark on the hearts and minds of a workforce. This can go one of two ways: Leaders can leave behind a legacy of inspiration, or infuriation. Based on thousands of perspectives collected from around the globe, Adam created a systemic formula for choosing and earning the lasting impact you want to have on others.
Below, Adam shares five key insights from his new book, Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others.
1. Inspiring leadership is made up of three universal factors
Inspiring and infuriating leaders exist on an enduring continuum that is made up of three universal factors. The exact same characteristics emerge in every culture and country across the globe. The three universal factors are:
- Being a Visionary, which represents how we see the world.
- Being an Exemplar of desired behavior, which represents how we are in the world.
- Being a Mentor, which represents how we interact with others in the world.
We can inspire others through our words, actions, and interactions. There are three universal factors because each one fulfills a fundamental human need:
- Being Visionary fulfills the need for meaning and purpose.
- Being an Exemplar fulfills the need for protection and passion.
- Being a Mentor fulfills the need for belonging and status.
These universal dimensions are demonstrated by a remarkable pilot, Tammie Jo Shults. She was the captain of Southwest Airlines 1380, traveling from New York to Dallas when an engine exploded and tore a hole in the side of her plane.
During the crisis, Tammie Jo was visionary, helping her passengers understand what was happening. As the plane was descending, she gave her passengers a reassuring WHY: “We are NOT going down, we are going to Philadelphia.” Those simple words transformed the cabin from pure panic to possibility.
