Encouragement Is a Leadership Skill: How to Energize Yourself and Others

Some people think encouragement is soft. Optional. A bonus if it’s there, but not essential. I think they’re wrong.

Encouragement isn’t fluff.

It’s fuel. It determines how we show up—for ourselves and for each other. In the moments that matter most—when things are uncertain, difficult, or deeply personal—encouragement is what makes the difference between shutting down and stepping up.

And the truth is, if you’re not consciously choosing to encourage, you might be unconsciously draining the energy of everyone around you.

Walt Disney once said there are three kinds of people in the world.

First, there are the well-poisoners—the ones who shoot down ideas, dismiss dreams, and drain the room of energy.

Then there are the lawn-mowers—those who stay in their lane, do their job, and never reach beyond themselves to help another person grow.

And finally, there are the life-enhancers—the rare ones who lift others up, share encouragement freely, and leave people better than they found them.

We’ve all met these people. But more importantly, we’ve all been these people at different times. The real question is: Who are you being today?

I once came across a study—simple, but unforgettable.

Researchers wanted to measure human endurance, so they asked people to stand barefoot in a bucket of ice-cold water for as long as they could. Most only lasted a few minutes before the pain became unbearable.

But here’s what changed everything: in a second round, they repeated the exact same setup—but this time, someone stood beside the participant. No physical help. Just quiet words of support. “You’ve got this.” “You’re stronger than you think.” “Keep going.”

And just like that, the results shifted.

People stayed in the cold twice as long. Same body. Same water. Same pain. But with encouragement? Double the resilience. That’s what support does. It doesn’t take the challenge away. It awakens something inside you that was already there—but asleep.

One of the greatest examples of this kind of encouragement under pressure comes from the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

In 1914, he led a 27-man expedition to Antarctica—an adventure that turned into a nightmare. Their ship, the Endurance, was slowly crushed by shifting sea ice, leaving them stranded more than 1,200 miles from civilization.

For months, they floated on jagged ice sheets, exposed to punishing winds and sub-zero temperatures. There were no rescue helicopters. No supply drops. Just three lifeboats, some tents, and whatever food they could ration.

Frostbite spread. Spirits dipped. The line between survival and surrender blurred. And yet—every man lived.

Shackleton didn’t have modern tools.

What he had was presence. He stayed close. He cracked jokes. He created routines. He reminded his men daily that they had purpose. And in doing so, he gave them the only thing more important than warmth: hope.

Most of us will never face the kind of life-or-death hardship Shackleton’s crew endured.

And truthfully, many of us might break if we did. But that’s not the point of the story.

The point is this:

Encouragement matters. Even when the odds are brutal. Especially when they are. Stories like these remind us that the human spirit can stretch further than we think—when someone believes in us, or when we choose to believe in ourselves again.

What made Shackleton remarkable wasn’t just his courage—it was his creativity in keeping morale alive.

In those frozen months, he made sure everyone had a role. He invited opinions. He encouraged humor, even when there was nothing funny about their situation.

And perhaps most telling of all—he saved a banjo from the sinking ship. Why? Because he knew music could soften the weight of despair.

He knew that even one lighthearted moment could break the spell of hopelessness. Shackleton wasn’t just preserving bodies—he was preserving spirits. And that’s the kind of leader— encouragement turns you into.

You don’t have to lead a rescue mission or save a sinking crew to make encouragement matter.

You just have to decide that your words, your energy, your presence—they count. Every conversation is a chance to lift someone, or let them sink. Every small act of belief—especially when shared at the right moment—can become the thing someone remembers years later.

And it starts with you.

Be a life-enhancer, not just for others, but for yourself. Speak in a way that adds strength, not weight. Energy, not judgment. Possibility, not pressure.

So how do you begin?

Start with your language. Say the words you needed to hear when you were struggling. Keep a few phrases close—ones that remind you what matters.

1. “I believe in you.”
2. “You’re growing stronger every day.”
3. “Mistakes don’t define you.”
4. “I forgive you.”
5. “I am prosperity.”

I keep some of these written on my desk. Sometimes I ask myself, What can I do today to improve by 1%? Other times, I return to gratitude—especially when I’m angry or tired.

These aren’t just feel-good phrases.

They’re anchors. Quiet ways of returning to who you want to be. Encouragement isn’t complicated—but it is intentional. And when you practice it daily, it becomes a quiet kind of leadership. The kind that changes lives—starting with your own.

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Let’s create a Heroic Lifestyle,

Sarit Tagore
Creator of Heroic Manifestation™
Connect with me: Website | YouTube | LinkedIn
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