What? You want me to speak at the ceremony? Are you serious? What would I say? I don’t have any good clothes with me. I don’t even speak their language…

Despite all my objections our Cambodian host would not be thwarted from his objective to see me speak at this auspicious occasion. We were in Cambodian in the city of Poipet visiting a number of the projects being supported by Hope for the Nations, an international children’s charity. I was Board Chair of Hope at the time.

We were contributing to a wide variety of in-country programs in line with our mandate to help children at risk become children of change: the establishment of mat schools in remote villages, homes and schools for orphans, recovery programs for children rescued out of sex slavery, safe houses to protect village children from slave traders, the building of community centers to provide educational programs in Khmer Rouge villages, and this particular program.

The ceremony I was being asked to speak at was the graduation ceremony for scores of teachers who had been trained in an anti-violence program designed by our host. Apparently in Cambodia many teachers used violence as a tool for classroom management: slapping and hitting students, pinching their ears until they bled, and many other violent means to try to control their students. These strategies understandably led to high truancy rates.

This program was the first of its kind in Cambodia so it was being attended by a number of dignitaries, including the Premier of Banteay Meanchey province, and the national Minister of Education. This program was seen as a model for what they wanted to roll out across the nation. It was a big deal, and our host wanted me to speak, so I needed some good clothes.

Our resourceful host scrounged up some dress pants, a dress shirt, tie, belt and shoes. I was all set. Now I just needed to figure out what I wanted to say. It couldn’t be too long as I was one of numerous speakers, and speaking through an interpreter takes twice the time.

What could I say to a mass of teachers on the verge of redefining education in their country that was still recovering from the butchering of millions of people 4 decades earlier?

I began by thanking them. I thanked them for choosing to step up and lead. They were sacrificing for the future of their country. What they were doing was costly and they needed to be thanked for investing themselves in the lives of others.

I also affirmed the work they were doing. I could not think of any more noble and important work in a nation torn apart by war, than investing in the lives of children – the future of their country. I emphasized how critically important their work was to mold their country’s future. The lives of their future leaders were in their hands.

I then gave them a simple exhortation: Equip the mind, engage the heart, inspire the child.

A leader’s role is to equip the mind, engage the heart and inspire those they lead.

Inspired people do amazing things. Inspired workers are the most powerfully motivated workforce. It is impossible to inspire anyone if you have not engaged their heart. Any leader who wants to inspire must touch the hearts of those he/she leads. The leader must engage others at a deep place of passion, purpose, conviction, commitment, identity and life if they have any hope of being inspirational.

A good leader must then also equip the minds of those they lead with the skills, abilities, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge they need to be excellent at their craft. Passionate, inspired people with no skill can cause much damage. Likewise, uninspired, skilled people with no passion not only make a minimal contribution, but often diminish or destroy the passion of others.

Great leaders, like great teachers, understand how imperative it is to intentionally equip, engage and inspire those they lead. Equip the mind, engage the heart and inspire the person: that creates a productive, proficient and powerful workforce.

How will you equip the mind, engage the heart and inspire those you lead?