What's your 'freedom'?

In the famous scene in Braveheart, Mel Gibson plays William Wallace, and addresses his army before the Battle of Sterling Bridge in 1297. 

Wallace rides with sword drawn asking his men whether they’ll fight, despite the English army outnumbering them many times over. One nervous Scottish soldier says no, it’s better to retreat and live to fight another day.

Wallace responds by saying this:

“Aye, fight and you may die. Run and you’ll live — at least a while. And, dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll NEVER TAKE OUR FREEDOM!?! 

What he didn’t do was try to explain rationally how they were going to win the battle. Instead he gave his men something to believe in: a noble cause, a purpose: freedom.

And I’d contend there are two things that he does to make this work, and which all great leaders do well.

Firstly, he explains the broader impact of what they are doing. It’s not just a battle it’s a moment in history that each soldier’s families will look back on.

Secondly, he does this with real feeling and emotion.  He makes it personal and as a result we believe in him. In fact, this belief almost overrides whether or not we believe rationally in the chances of victory.

Now, in your business you may not feel like you’re fighting a war. But every day you get up you can either feel like you’re fighting an overwhelming huge army of English and that you haven’t got a chance

Or….

You can fight for something that transcends winning or losing; that has purpose; that impacts more than just your immediate customers or the bottom line; and that you believe in, and have passion for.

I’d say this is a the difference between having a business proposition that wins (the rational) and a sense of purpose that creates momentum (the emotional). This is why being purposeful and emotive matters if you’re trying to change your business. Because without it, the case for change is rational and, for your employees, it can feel like fighting a battle you’re likely to lose.