What Inspires People

Everyone loves to feel inspired. I've written a lot about inspiration here on Linkedin, and the highlights of and links to my articles about inspiration are below. But what industries most inspire people to work and give their best? What industries are least inspiring?

LinkedIn recently released the LinkedIn Inspiration Index (LII) They asked people one simple question: How often do you feel inspired by your work? Based on surveys of thousands of people across 8 countries and 80 industries, the index gives us a glimpse at what industries leave employees feeling inspired -- and what industries lack inspiration.

The Top Five Most Inspired Industries

Based on initial research, people in these industries felt the most inspired (LII score in parentheses):

1) Fine art (82)

2) Religious institutions (81)

3) Sports (81)

4) Professional training and coaching (80)

5) Nonprofit organization and management (78)

The Bottom Five Least Inspired Industries

According to the initial data, these industries will have you feeling the least inspired:

1) Semiconductors (61)

2) Defense and space (60)

3) Online media (60)

4) Industrial automation (59)

5) Architecture and planning (58)

Surprised by any of these findings? Let me know in the comments section below. And feel free to take a look at the complete survey results here.

In the meantime, no matter what job or industry you work in, we can all use a little inspiration.

I wrote about how to inspire yourself at work here:

8 Simple Ways to Inspire Yourself at Work

1) Read a book. (Here are 9 inspirational business books.)

2) Write a blog post or letter.

3) Exercise.

4) Write a thank you note.

5) Perform a random act of kindness.

6. Read inspiring quotes. (Here are 25 of my favorite inspirational quotes.)

7. Listen to music. (Here are 21 songs to inspire you at work.)

8. Watch an inspiring video. (such as the one below)

Whether you work in a typically-inspiring industry or not, you can benefit from feeling inspired. And while all eight of the above are excellent ways to get inspired, for me, the most important question isn't what inspires you - it's who inspires you. The best way to get inspired is other people.

Do your parents inspire you? Coworkers? Your CEO? Thought leaders in your industry? Sports heros? Political heroes? Friends? Your husband or wife? What inspires me, most of all, are my two little girls, Charlotte and Kate. My 10-year-old Charlotte and 6-year-old Kate have the traits that I admire most: tolerance, innocence, optimism, ambition, honesty, energy, and courage. My daughters, and children everywhere, are my greatest inspiration.

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Now it's your turn. Who inspires you most and why? Do you work in a job, company or industry that inspires you? What do you do for greater inspiration? Let me know in the Comments section below, and let's inspire people together all over the world! Please do share this post with your network to give them some inspiration.

Dave Kerpen is the founder and CEO of Likeable Local. He is also the co-founder and Chairman of Likeable Media, and the New York Times-bestselling author of Likeable Social Media and Likeable Business, and the new collection, Likeable Leadership. To read more from Dave on LinkedIn, please click the FOLLOW button above or below.

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