Action Inspires

Alexander the Great is the greatest conqueror the world has ever seen. Alexander motivated and inspired his troops through the most inhospitable terrain in the world, facing monsoons, snowstorms, seemingly never-ending deserts, and a constant barrage of enemy combatants for about a decade. He moved through the Mediterranean, Northern Africa, and the Middle East conquering villages and strongholds on his way to India. A King from the tiny empire of Macedonian should not have been able to conquer most of the known world, yet, Alexander the Great did it in only 13 years. Inspiring others to accomplish greatness never seen on this earth before is an act of leadership we can learn from.

One of the best stories that exemplifies Alexander’s style of inspiration is when he almost singlehandedly faced an entire Indian stronghold. Alexander was chasing the Malli tribe in India when they took refuge in a small fortress inside a larger town. Alexander’s army entered the town to find the warriors still secure in the central fortress. Alexander bravely led a group of four up a ladder to the wall of the fortress. His soldiers were astonished by his bravery and quickly followed suit, only to collapse the ladder with their weight.

Once inside the fortress, Alexander killed a handful of defenders before being surrounded by a group of Malli warriors. Alexander was wounded by an arrow to the chest. Luckily, his companions who accompanied him over the wall initially were able to protect him until the rest of the Army made their way into the fortress by sheer will and determination. Alexander was then brought to a ship nearby to recover from his wounds; meanwhile, his troops massacred everyone in the fortress.

Many soldiers thought Alexander would die from the blood loss and punctured lung he had suffered in the skirmish. But, just five days after being injured, Alexander mounted his horse and addressed his men. Men were in awe of their commander as they watched him ride through the crowd to his tent. This act of bravery inspired his men to put their troubles aside just as their King was able to do.

But, not all were as inspired as the common soldiers. Many of Alexander’s closest advisors chastised his reckless behavior. His advisors scolded him, saying a King should not be the first person to climb atop an enemy fortress. Alexander left his tent in anger when he ran into a veteran soldier who had listened in on the conversation. The soldier told him, “Alexander, brave deeds are what true men do.” Alexander was happy to hear this, and he knew his actions were necessary to inspire the bravery and loyalty of his men.

Alexander was asking a lot of his soldiers. They had conquered more land than any other army in history and had been away from home for many years. Alexander motivated them through a decade of fighting and unimaginable hardships. He did what every soldier fighting alongside him did. He traversed the same terrain, faced the same foes, felt the same thirst and hunger, and lived the same life as his men. Alexander created a fiercely loyal bond with his men by inspiring them through his actions.

Modern leaders can learn a lot from Alexander. We don’t need our employees to fight campaigns across grueling terrain, but we do need to inspire them to achieve more than what they think they’re capable of.

You inspire best through action. Show your employees the way. Model the behaviors and mindset for your employees to follow. Your employees will draw inspiration from your actions. You need to set the tone, just like Alexander did through his daring deeds. Model greatness through bold action. Your team will follow suit.

Also, be sure to check out Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman (our source this week) if you want to read more.

See you next week!

Rick