About the best thing you can say about someone is that he or she inspires you. We tend to think that this uplifting of spirit is done through deeds. Without doubt, actions count. It’s the reason the cliché says that actions speak louder than words. Don’t be too quick, though, to accept it as gospel. What someone does is only a piece of what sets them apart. Those who truly inspire do so through the words they use. Words define leaders. It’s true at the highest levels, but also for those who manage small work groups. I’ve spent the past few years looking at how people choose words and then put them into sentences. Leaders, I’ve found, follow a pattern. It’s an easy pattern to learn, yet most don’t follow it. In fact, they aren’t even aware of it.Anyone can become more inspiring to those around them. It doesn’t require heroic acts. Those things don’t happen often. But everyday we have a chance to motivate and inspire through what we say to those around us.I teach people at all levels how to choose words that do two things. First, make sure that what is supposed to happen happens. Second, become the inspirational leader that drives results.I’m hired to be a luncheon or break-out speaker at events and conferences, or to present a 90-minute workshop to employees in conference rooms where they work. I also coach senior execs one-on-one on how to be more inspirational.