Motivation and Leadership

Do you ever feel motivated, charged up, and full of energy?

Frequently we attend a presentation or watch a TV show or read of the accomplishments of someone else and say something like, "That person is so motivating!" But where did the motivation come from - the person we saw or listened to?

It is my belief that motivation comes not from someone else but from within. In other words, if we all relied on hearing or seeing just the right message at just the right time in order to "get motivated" to move forward or make a change then we would be in an awful mess. Really, how many times in your life have you been party to an absolutely incredible presentation that inspired you? Now compare that to the number of times in your life in which you were full of energy, ready to take on the world - in other words, 'motivated.' Probably a much more frequent occurence. Did you rely on someone else to get you motivated in those times?

Motivation is a result of our own Passion and the internal compass that tells us that we need to pursue a particular course of action. We are inspired by others when what they say or do is in line with our passions and desires - but they are not able to motivate us directly.

So why did I include Leadership in the title of this post?

Because too many 'leaders' believe it is their job to 'motivate' their team - and nothing could be further from the truth. A leader's job is to inspire, to provide an avenue for team members' passions. The leader's role includes coaching the team to find out what their internal motivators are and align them with the needs of the organization so that there is a Win/Win/Win - the leader wins by building a successful team, the team members win by fulfilling their purpose, and the organization wins by delivering its product or service.

If you are in a leadership role are you attempting to motivate - or inspire? Are you frustrated because team members don't respond to the same things that motivate you? It's not their fault; they are different people than you with different passions. Find out what their internal motivators are. Then - as leader - inspire them to be the best they can be by reminding them of their internal motivators.

For more insight on Inspirational Leadership that results in a motivated team, read John Maxwell's "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership."

Make it an inspiring day!