“Your profession is not what brings home your weekly paycheck, your profession is what you’re put here on earth to do, with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.” – Vincent van Gogh
To my mind, the growth and development of people is the highest calling of a small business owner or a business manager. Every manager has lower level responsibilities, of course, which must be discharged with the least amount of effort possible to get the job done perfectly, but the highest calling of a leader is inspire those within his sphere of influence to think more, be more and achieve more.
How such leaders go about catalyzing the greatness in others is a deeply personal, if not spiritual matter. Greatness cannot be forced, for force only results in temporary compliance. Neither does greatness typically appear unassisted, for its revelation requires the skillful overcoming of a whole host of impediments to its expression. When it comes to greatness, like treats like, that is, greatness is inspired by greatness.
Gregory Hake 
I find that the real ticket to inspiring others is to care deeply about them. You can’t fake it, and it gives any corrections that you give both the weight of authenticity and the softness that can only come with genuine regard. This, combined with a fervent desire to continually improve your own life, makes for a highly inspirational environment.
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It is great to consider what we have been put here on earth to do. As we do this greatness is a natural result. Let our examples be the inspiration required for our worlds.
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Inspiring others is done through how we live our lives including doing our jobs. Looking at how we are marketed to it would seem the well lived life is the one that is a perpetual vacation or with as much leisure as one can afford. That myth has created the hell many struggle with. As I consider “following my bliss” I realize unless service to others is at its core I will come up empty. We are filled by our contribution not our extraction.
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When growth and development becomes highly important, rising in prominence and reconciled to other urges and concerns, well now you’ve got something. One who knows this themselves can go on to assist others by virtue of their example. How this happens for each person is deeply personal, but one can assist others by creating an environment most suitable for its emergence, providing the right conditions like a skilled gardener would to their plants. The right balance of structure and freedom in the structure is key, and one is well on their way when responsibility is readily assumed without fuss. You just do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. Now the proper conditioning moves from the external to the internal, the regulation of temperament and attitude becomes more and more individual and depends less and less on what others do. Self-discipline is a trademark of allowing what’s called greatness to manifest, for it relies not on circumstance to appear but instead masters it.
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I agree. Excellent post, thanks!
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Definitely words to live by. This post should be the forward of every manager’s training manual!
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Wonderful quote!
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