Inspirational Leadership Can Happen in the Smallest of Moments
- Stephanie Bickel
- 4 minutes ago
- 5 min read
By Stephanie Bickel
Inspirational leadership is not always a keynote moment.
It can be a five-second choice in a meeting.
A consistent habit that makes people feel safe.
An open mind that invites better thinking.
A sky-high standard that says, “I see what you’re capable of.”
Here’s the real truth. We are all inspired differently.
Some of us are inspired by warmth.
Some by courage.
Others by rigor.
Some by a leader who makes the hard feel possible... or even fun.
Inside Speak by Design University, members shared stories of leaders who inspired them. They were not all the same style. But every story had one thing in common.
The leader created energy.
They changed what people believed was possible in that moment.
Below are eight examples. Read them slowly. You’ll likely recognize the kind of leader you become under each one.
1) Making Hard Work Fun
One member described a leader who brought movie clips and humor into a compliance project. The work was dry. The deadlines were real. The lift was heavy.
And still, he made it memorable.
He would play a clip from an action movie, something like Indiana Jones, then ask, “How is this exactly like us?” Everyone laughed. Everyone leaned in. Everyone suddenly had more fuel.
A compliance project became an adventure.
Inspirational leadership sometimes looks like this: a leader who knows morale is not fluff. It is force.
Small moment lesson: Do not underestimate energy design. People do not burn out from work alone. They burn out from joyless work.
2) Inclusive Inspirational Leadership in the Middle of a Meeting
Another member shared a story about a peer leader, not the person running the meeting, who noticed someone got talked over.
When it was his turn to speak, he paused and said, “Before I start, I noticed Jenny wanted to say something and didn’t get a chance. I’d like to yield my time.”
That is emotional intelligence with backbone.
He gave away his center stage so someone else could be heard.
Small moment lesson: Inclusion is not a value statement. It is an interrupting behavior.
3) Transparent Crisis Response
One member described a CEO’s response at the onset of COVID-19.
He gathered the entire office, from the CFO to the janitor, and said: “We have ten minutes to feel everything we are feeling. Then we have ten minutes to brainstorm. Then we come back and work the problem.”
That is leadership that honors humanity and still protects momentum.
It created transparency, inclusion, and shared ownership.
Small moment lesson: Great leaders do not pretend fear is not present. They name it, timebox it, then mobilize people forward.
4) Empowering Autonomy
Another member shared a manager who refused to dictate methods.
During a major deviation that could shut down a site, the manager said, “Do not do it my way. Figure out your way. I will give guidelines and advice, but I want you to lead it.”
He did not try to create a carbon copy of himself. He created a leader.
Small moment lesson: Autonomy is not the absence of leadership. It is leadership with restraint.
5) Learning from Failure
One member remembered a foundation president who started a “failure contest.”
Each program presented a case study of a grant that went wrong. The point was not shame.
The point was learning. It normalized open dialogue about setbacks and turned mistakes into shared intelligence.
Small moment lesson: When leaders make failure discussable, they make progress inevitable.
6) Supportive Listening Without Micromanagement
One of the most powerful stories was not dramatic. It was daily.
A leader called every single day, not to demand updates, not to correct, not to diagnose. He called to listen. The member described it as the first time they truly felt the difference between management and leadership.
He created a relationship where asking for help felt safe.
Small moment lesson: The most inspiring leaders do not just solve problems. They strengthen problem solvers.
7) Genuine Connection That Changes the Air
Another member described a CEO who could be genuine and still deeply respected.
She balanced authenticity, trust, and empowerment in a way that created an energizing atmosphere. People could feel it when she walked into a room. The room became more alive.
That is rare. And unforgettable.
Small moment lesson: Presence is not performance. It is coherence. When people trust your intent, they relax into their best work.
8) Demanding Inclusion With a Sky-High Standard
One member shared a story from working for Governor Jeb Bush, who insisted on everyone’s opinion, even outside their expertise.
When an advisor tried to defer because it was not “their domain,” the governor pushed:“You’re a Floridian. You care about this state. You know me. You’ve heard the arguments. What’s your gut instinct?”
That is inclusion with expectation. It tells people: I will not let you opt out of responsibility.
Small moment lesson: Sometimes the most inspiring thing a leader can do is demand your contribution because they believe you have one.
The Most Powerful Feedback Script I Know
A quote from Adam Grant belongs here because it captures the most inspiring combination in leadership.
“I’m giving you these comments because I have high expectations, and I’m confident that you can reach them.”
This is the sweet spot.
High standard, high belief.
This is what “Coaching Others to Greatness” teaches inside our Speak by Design University vault. Not feedback that crushes. Not feedback that coddles. Feedback that calls people upward.
What These Stories Have in Common
Different industries. Different personalities. Different leadership styles.
But the pattern is clear:
They created safety and challenge at the same time
They made people feel seen and stretched
They turned ordinary moments into defining moments
They were consistent enough to be trusted
They were intentional enough to be remembered
Inspirational leadership is often not a grand speech. It is repeatable behaviors that make people think “I can do hard things here.”
Your Invitation
This week, try one small act of inspirational leadership:
Yield the microphone to someone who got interrupted
Timebox emotion, then mobilize action
Make a hard project feel lighter through humor and meaning
Ask for someone’s gut instinct and do not accept their deflection
Create a failure-friendly moment that turns mistakes into learning
You do not have to be the loudest leader in the room. You have to be the leader who changes what is possible in the room.
That can happen in the smallest of moments. It can happen through consistency of actions. It can happen with an open mind. It can happen with a sky-high standard.
And it can happen through you.
Build This Kind of Leadership Consistently
Inside Speak by Design University, leaders practice the small, repeatable behaviors that build trust, confidence, and influence over time.
This is where we work on presence, clarity, feedback, decision-making, and leadership communication in real scenarios. Not theory. Not motivation. Practice.
If you want to become the kind of leader people trust in the moments that matter most, we’d love to work with you.