Business Leadership Motivation Training

 Leadership training is essential to develop managers who can lead your company to success. The wide range of expectations and challenges faced by modern business leaders calls for an equally wide range of training curricula, including motivation training. Leadership motivation training can focus on the internal motivation of leaders themselves, or on their ability to motivate subordinates to put forth their best efforts.

Motivation Theories and Models

All training programs should be based on or include well-proven, research-based models developed by management theorists. Different motivation models can be used in leadership training, whether the training focuses on managers' motivation or their employees'. Maslow's hierarchy of needs, McClellan's theory of needs, Vroom's expectancy theory and Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory are four examples of traditional models that can provide a solid foundation for formal training. Some modern training consultants have developed their own proprietary models specifically suited to the challenges modern leaders face. The best model for your leadership training depends on your company's specific needs. Do a bit of research before investing in any third-party training content.

Training Settings

Motivation training can take place in a variety of settings. The best setting depends on the personalities of the learners, the company's culture and the company's specific achievement objectives. Training can occur in classroom settings, for example, bringing a group of leaders together in a formal atmosphere while focusing on lectures and participation. Training can be more personal, such as one-on-one coaching between leaders and their mentors. This kind of training atmosphere can help to establish trust with learners, allowing them to be vulnerable enough to face and admit their shortcomings while striving to grow. Training can take place outside of an organization's walls. A company may send its leaders to motivation seminars or retreats, allowing them to gain a fresh perspective through a change of atmosphere.

Participation

No matter the setting, motivation training is most effective when all learners actively participate. Motivation is a mental state, but it is also an intentional action. As such, leaders must practice motivation techniques before applying their new skills in the workplace. Give learners opportunities to speak their minds, ask questions and contribute to conversations rather than focusing on one-way lectures. Include learning activities to reinforce training content in practical ways. Get learners personally involved as soon as possible to increase their commitment to learning. If possible, speak with learners before a training session to understand their expectations and needs. This will help you to focus training sessions on things that matter most to the participants.

Continuous Learning

Continuous learning is a key to making new skills stick and become effective habits. Especially for practical day-to-day skills such as self-motivation techniques, adding follow-on elements into your training programs can increase knowledge retention and drive results. Social learning platforms are an example of an effective continuous learning opportunity, as they provide a framework for learners to share insights, experiences and encouragement after formal training ends. Scheduling several shorter training sessions over time rather than one large experience can leverage the power of this concept as well. Following up with one-on-one meetings with mentors can also provide opportunities for learners to continue to develop new skills after a program ends.

Brian Tracy: How to Become a Motivational Leader

Nov 28, 2018

By Brian Tracy

A leader should not only guide others to ensure great professional success, but also to inspire, influence, and most importantly, motivate their employees. Here is a guide by Brian Tracy on how to become a motivational leader:

The Leader as Role Model

It’s been said, “Leadership is not what you do, but who you are.” This, however, is only partially true. Leadership is very much who you are, but it cannot be divorced from what you do. Who you are represents the inner person, and what you do represents the outer person. Each is dependent on the other for maximum effectiveness.

The starting point of motivational leadership is to begin seeing yourself as a role model, as an example to others. One key characteristic of leaders is that they set high standards of accountability for themselves and for their behaviors. They assume that others are watching them and setting their own standards according to what they see.

Leadership Power

In business, there are several kinds of power. Two of these are position power and ascribed power:

Position power is the power that comes with a job title or position in any organization. If you become a manager in a company, you automatically have certain powers and privileges that go along with your rank. You can order people about and make certain decisions. You can be a leader whether or not anyone likes you.

Ascribed power is the power you gain because of the kind of person you are. In every organization, there are people who are inordinately influential and looked up to by others, even though their positions may not be high up on the organizational chart. These are the men and women who are genuine leaders because of the quality of the people they have become, because of their characters and their personalities.

Over the years, we have been led to believe that leaders are those who stride boldly about, exude power and confidence, give orders and make decisions for others to carry out. However, that is old school thinking. The leader of today is the one who asks questions, listens carefully, plans diligently and then builds consensus among all those who are necessary for achieving the goals. The leader does not try to do it by him or herself. The leader gets things done by helping others to do them.

Motivational Leading

This brings us to five of the qualities of motivational leaders. These are qualities that you already have to a certain degree and that you can develop further to stand out from the people around you in a very short period of time.

1.  Vision. This is the one single quality that, more than anything, separates leaders from followers. Leaders have vision. Followers do not. Leaders have the ability to stand back and see the big picture. Followers are caught up in day-to-day activities. Leaders have developed the ability to fix their eyes on the horizon and see greater possibilities. Followers are those whose eyes are fixed on the ground in front of them and who are so busy that they seldom look at themselves and their activities in a larger context.

The most motivational vision you can have for yourself and others is to “Be the best!” Many people don’t yet realize that excellent performance in serving other people is an absolute, basic essential for survival in the economy of the future. Many individuals and companies still adhere to the idea that as long as they are no worse than anyone else, they can remain in business. That is prehistoric thinking. We are now in the age of excellence. Customers assume that they will get excellent quality, and if they don’t, they will go to your competitors so fast, people’s heads will spin.

2. Integrity. This is perhaps the single most respected quality of leaders. Integrity is complete, unflinching honesty with regard to everything that you say and do. Integrity underlies all the other qualities. Your measure of integrity is determined by how honest you are in the critical areas of your life.

Integrity means this: When someone asks you at the end of the day, “Did you do your very best?” you can look him in the eye and say, “Yes!” Integrity means this: When someone asks you if you could have done it better, you can honestly say, “No, I did everything I possibly could.”

Integrity means that you, as a leader, admit your shortcomings. It means that you work to develop your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. Integrity means that you tell the truth and you live the truth in everything you do and in all your relationships. Integrity means that you deal straightforwardly with people and situations and that you do not compromise what you believe to be true.

3. Courage. This is the chief distinguishing characteristic of the true leader. It is almost always visible in the leader’s words and actions. It is absolutely indispensable to success, happiness and the ability to motivate other people to be the best they can be.

In a way, it is easy to develop a big vision for yourself and for the person you want to be. It is easy to commit yourself to living with complete integrity. But it requires incredible courage to follow through on your vision and on your commitments. You see, as soon as you set a high goal or standard for yourself, you will run into all kinds of difficulties and setbacks. You will be surrounded by temptations to compromise your values and your vision. You will feel an almost irresistible urge to “get along by going along.” Your desire to earn the respect and cooperation of others can easily lead to the abandonment of your principles, and here is where courage comes in.

4. Realism. Realism is a form of intellectual honesty. The realist insists upon seeing the world as it really is, not as he wishes it were. This objectivity, this refusal to engage in self-delusion, is a mark of the true leader.

Those who exhibit the quality of realism do not trust luck, hope for miracles, pray for exceptions to basic business principles, expect rewards without working or hope that problems will go away by themselves. These all are examples of self-delusion, of living in a fantasyland.

The motivational leader insists on seeing things exactly as they are and encourages others to look at life the same way. As a motivational leader, you get the facts, whatever they are. You deal with people honestly and tell them exactly what you perceive to be the truth. This doesn’t mean that you will always be right, but you will always be expressing the truth in the best way you know how.

5. Responsibility. This is perhaps the hardest quality to develop. The acceptance of responsibility means that, as Harry Truman said, “The buck stops here.”

The game of life is very competitive. Sometimes, great success and great failure are separated by a very small distance. In watching the play-offs in basketball, baseball and football, we see that the winner can be decided by a single point, and that single point can rest on a single action, or inaction, on the part of a single team member at a critical part of the game.

Life is very much like competitive sports. Very small things that you do, or don’t do, can either give you the edge that leads to victory or take away your edge at the critical moment. This principle is especially true with regard to accepting responsibility for yourself and for everything that happens to you.

Motivate Yourself First

You become a motivational leader by motivating yourself. And you motivate yourself by striving toward excellence, by committing yourself to becoming everything you are capable of becoming. You motivate yourself by throwing your whole heart into doing your job in an excellent fashion. You motivate yourself and others by continually looking for ways to help others to improve their lives and achieve their goals. You become a motivational leader by becoming the kind of person others want to get behind and support in every way.

Your main job is to take complete control of your personal evolution and become a leader in every area of your life. You could ask for nothing more, and you should settle for nothing less.

1. Start with scheduling more one on one time.

Get off on the right track by making consistent clear goals and expectations an operational reality. You do that through the lost art of one-on-one conversations -- a great motivational tool. Leaders thrive when they strengthen relationships with their people by spending more one-on-one time with them to hear their suggestions, ideas, problems and issues as well as talking about performance issues and their work. But first, you need to know how to structure these meetings so that it works to your advantage. 

2. Find out what motivates them.

Do you know what gets your team members out of bed in the morning? What they're passionate about -- their goals, aspirations, and interests? In other words, do you really know your team members? Great leaders show an interest in their people's jobs and career aspirations in order to motivate them the right way. Once that's been established, they look into the future to create learning and development opportunities for their people. They find out what motivates their best people by getting to know what desires will drive each team member. This is about emotional engagement.

3. Provide the resources they need to do their work exceptionally well.

It's a simple question, but you'd be surprised how often it is not asked: What do you need right now to do your job better? You may be surprised, or even shocked at the answer; it could be that they need access to more information to make the right decisions, bettter equipment or even another work space. Acting on what you find out will be a huge motivational booster. 

4. Praise and compliment them often.

"I don't like to be recognized," said no human being, ever. Managers have to get into the habit of praising and complimenting their people for their good qualities and work. The companies in Gallup's study with the highest engagement levels use recognition and praise as a powerful motivator to get their commitment. They found that employees who receive it on a regular basis increase their individual productivity, receive higher loyalty and satisfaction scores from customers, and are more likely to stay with their organization. How regular are we talking? Praise should be given once per week, according to Gallup.

5. Help co-create purposeful work.

People want meaning and purpose in their work. In the book Give and Take, Wharton professor Adam Grant says that when people find purpose in their work, it not only improves that person's happiness, it also boosts productivity. One way to give employees that purpose, according to Grant, is to have them meet the very people they are helping and serving, even if just for a few minutes. Managers giving their people access to customers so they can see firsthand the human impact their work makes is the greatest human motivator, says Grant.

6. Help them develop new skills.

Although important, I'm not so much talking about putting them through another required technical or safety training program to keep them or the business compliant, but actually giving them meaningful new skills or knowledge in other areas that they can use to leverage their natural strengths for future roles, whether with their current company or another company. The point is to serve and value them so exceptionally well as people and workers that they have no reason to leave but use their newfound skills for new projects.

7. Actively involve them.

Great managers recognize that leadership doesn't travel one way but is multi-directional. While it can come from the top down at critical times, the best scenario is allowing decisions, information, and delegation to travel from peer to peer or from the bottom up, where the collective wisdom and involvement of the whole team help solve real issues in real time on the frontlines.

8. Believe in them.

The best managers delegate often and give their employees responsibility for delivering challenging work. If this doesn't happen in your workplace, consider two hard questions:

• Do you trust your knowledge workers to do what they've been hired to do?
• Do they have the right competence for the job to carry out the work with confidence?

So often managers underestimate the potential and ability of their employees to use their brains! If you answered yes to the questions above, be of the mindset to always accept that they can do the work. Then, give them the room to perform and support them with whatever they need to make them even better. This is how you motivate them to the rafters.

How To Start Your Public Speaking Career

Breaking into professional public speaking might seem like a daunting task. But by following a few key strategies, you can both start and sustain your motivational speaking career.

Here’s how to become a public speaker.

1. Define Your Area Of Expertise

What are you good at? What are you passionate about? What unique perspective do you have to offer? These are the questions you need to answer to figure out so you can zero in on what you’ll talk about as a motivational speaker.

For example, maybe you studied marketing in school. That would give you the knowledge and expertise needed to speak about marketing.

If you want to niche down even further, think about other areas where you have experience. Maybe you’ve worked in the fitness industry — could you speak about marketing for gyms and fitness brands? Give it a shot! If that topic ends up being too narrow, you can always broaden the lens later.

2. Identify Your Target Audience

Once you figure out what you want to say, you’ll be able to pinpoint who would benefit from hearing your motivational speaking. What age are the people who need to hear your message? What’s their career? Where do they live?

Defining your target audience will also help you determine what examples you should use to communicate your points most effectively. And when you know your target audience, you’ll also be able to figure out where to find them — such as a marketing conference or another industry event.

3. Gain Public Speaking Skills

Knowing what to say in your motivational speaking is important. But learning how to say it is essential, too. Invest some serious time and energy into improving your public speaking skills. Learning from experts, like the best motivational speakers on YouTube, is always a good idea because those speakers have firsthand experience to share.

You might consider taking a public speaking class, too. A course is an excellent way to improve your communication skills and help overcome any nerves you might be feeling. This is an important step in developing your unique public speaking voice.

However you decide to brush up on these skills, don’t forget to practice, practice, practice! This is the best way to ensure you’ll get good at public speaking.

4. Learn The Art Of Speech Writing

Now that you know who your audience is, it’s time to perfect the art of speech writing so you can wow your crowd.

You can generally think of speeches as having three sections — the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Start out by learning how to write strong introductions. You might choose to start your speech by thanking the people who organized the event, quoting a well-known person, asking a question, or doing something else entirely.

Once you’ve covered all of your body points, it’s time to end your speech with a bang. Again, there are several ways you can go here based on your particular speech and the audience you’re giving it to. It’s always a good idea to summarize your points and include a call-to-action. Whatever that looks like for you, make sure to leave your audience with something to remember. This will make your speeches effective as you learn how to become a public speaker.

5. Create A Professional Presence Online

When it comes to how to become a motivational speaker, a strong online presence is essential. As soon as people receive your pitch, they’re going to open their computer and check you out online. So give them something good to find!

Make sure you have a nice website that’s professionally designed and clearly explains what you do. You’ll also want to be active on multiple social media platforms, such as LinkedIn and Twitter.

If you really want to prove the value you have to bring, start creating content. Educational blog posts or videos are a great way to show that you know what you’re talking about. Producing high-quality content for the web can sway people into deciding to work with you. Those blog posts and videos serve as tangible proof that you’re one of the best motivational speakers out there, helping you along the way as you work toward how to become a public speaker.

How To Book Your First Public Speaking Gig

Booking your first speaking gig can seem like a difficult task. But, the good news? Once you get this one under your belt, you’ll feel much more confident and capable of moving forward.

For your first speaking engagement, you might need to be willing to speak for free or at a reduced cost. But as you gain experience with subsequent engagements, your rate can (and should) rise. Here are a few key tips for that all-important first gig.

Avoid Cold Calling

Cold calling is a waste of time when you’re just starting out. Strangers aren’t going to hire you, especially if you don’t have any experience yet. It’s more important to focus on building your network and creating personal connections with people who might hire you in the future.

Simply talking about your new career as a public speaker can be hugely helpful both now and down the road. You never know who has connections and who might need a speaker. Share with your friends, family, and coworkers that you’re looking for a speaking gig.

You can also attend industry-specific events to focus on networking. And if you take a public speaking course, connecting with the teacher and your fellow students is a smart idea, too.

Start With Local Events

Chances are, there are dozens of speaking opportunities available in your town or the surrounding area. Local events might not seem glamorous or exciting. But they’ll help you gain the credibility you need to slowly grow your career.

Try looking for local events or conferences and pitching your speaking services to them. You won’t be able to jump into nationwide events right away. But if you start building now with small local venues, you’ll be able to speak at larger and larger events over time as you learn how to become a public speaker.

Attend Networking Engagements

Meeting new people in-person opens up huge opportunities for collaborations. How can you find these opportunities as you learn how to become a motivational speaker?

Run a quick Google search for “networking events near me” and see what comes up. You can also ask around in industry Facebook or LinkedIn groups to see what sort of events your peers frequent.

Sites such as Eventbrite have helpful search functions where you can find even more events in your area.

After you find and attend an event, remember to follow up with anyone you spoke to. This is a good way to sustain the relationship and potentially get motivational speaking engagements down the road.

Have Realistic Expectations

You might have to reach out to multiple places regarding a speaking engagement before you get a yes. And that’s okay! Don’t lose your motivation. Have perseverance and keep pursuing speaking gigs, contacting anyone who seems like a good fit.

It’s also important to keep in mind that your first speaking engagement might not be a paid engagement. And that’s okay, too. You may have to speak for free several times before you land a paid gig. Remember, doing small, unpaid engagements is okay for now because these small engagements will lead to more opportunities down the road. You’re building the blocks of your speaking career, and once you nail down your first speaking gig, things will get easier and easier from then on.

How To Make A Career As A Public Speaker

Once you’ve got a few successful speaking engagements under your belt, you’ll find more and more doors opening up. The key is to keep seeking out opportunities, doing the best job you can, and then asking what comes next. Don’t stay stagnant — the best motivational speakers always keep moving forward!

Learn How To Negotiate Your Speaking Fee

The process of negotiating your speaking fee might seem intimidating. Here’s what I suggest. First, do some research; talk to other speakers to figure out what they earn. This can help you fix a specific number in your mind.

Don’t accept the first number you’re offered for a motivational speaking gig. Ask for some time to think it over. Most people actually have a range in mind when they offer you a certain fee. Whereas they probably want to pay you the lowest amount in that range, however, your goal is to get the highest!

Use a technique called bracketing to ask for a rate that’s slightly higher, requesting a rate that’s between 110% and 130% of the amount you’re offered. This increases the chance you’ll get paid the amount you want.

Never Stop Promoting Your Speaking Services

If you want to become a successful motivational speaker, you aren’t going to automatically achieve that goal overnight. It’s essential to continue strategically marketing yourself — just like you would do for any other business.

What does that look like? Networking and word-of-mouth referrals will continue to play a part long-term. Social media is hugely effective, too. And remember to create a professionally-designed website where you can direct your social media followers so they can learn more about the speaking services you offer.

Master The Art Of Selling From The Stage

To learn how to become a motivational speaker, you need to learn to promote yourself. Your self-promotion should be relevant to the event, your audience, and what you’re talking about. Whatever you’re promoting should also be something that brings real value to the audience.

For example, if you wrote a book that your audience would like, take a copy up on stage with you and find a moment to show it to the audience. If you’ve created a tool that solves a problem you’re talking about in your speech, mention that tool. At the end of your speech, briefly talk about your company and tell people how they can get in touch with you.

These are a few ways you can promote yourself and boost your overall income without coming across as someone who’s only interested in making a sale.

Find Ways To Monetize After The Speech

To come home with as much revenue as possible, think past the event itself and find ways to monetize after your speech. How can you upsell your audience? Find ways to bring more value to your audience, and you’ll walk away with more money.

For example, if you have permission from the event organizers, maybe you can sell a recording of the event. Motivational speakers on YouTube are also popular; try uploading your speech there. You might also want to create a workbook or course that gives audience members strategies they can use as they put your advice into practice. In addition, consider diving deeper and offering a workshop or some type of extended training based around the topic of your speech.

Continue Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Always keep improving your skills and learning new techniques. There will never be a time when you’ve learned everything there is to know about how to become a motivational speaker. You can always learn more! Focusing on continued education is the best thing you can do for your career.

Do you want to learn more about public speaking and take your career to the next level? Check out my free webinar to become a six-figure motivational speaker. In this webinar, you’ll learn how to create a career you’re passionate about and get paid good money to do it. Register today to save your seat!

Motivational speakers are all the rage — individuals with a lot of life experience, and a lot of ideas to share. They make us laugh, they teach us valuable lessons, and sometimes, they make us cry.

Famous motivators include Apple’s founder Steve Jobs, who was fired from the company in its early days, and the mind behind Harry Potter: JK Rowling, who famously wrote The Philosopher’s Stone in a coffee shop with barely enough cash to feed her family.

And then there’s the rest of us.

So what happens if you want to inspire others but you haven’t experienced war, or poverty, or high tragedy? Don’t worry — everyone has something inspiring to say. Everyone has their own, unique value to add. There is nothing standing in your way except your own sense of inadequacy.

Here’s a few things to consider if you want to move up the inspiration scale.

Be a teacher.

So you may not be Nelson Mandela, but you’ve likely had experiences that are valuable to others. There is nothing more inspirational than someone who is knowledgeable, with unique insight and interesting opinions. Equally important, however, is the ability to spark a discussion, and to listen to the voices of others. This often means being contrarian.

Being a teacher is more than giving a lecture on your personal views on gun crime or vegetarianism, it’s providing an informed insight into the way you see the world, and opening up the dialogue for others to contribute. From your opinion of current politics to the way you have problem solved that tricky computer system that is causing everyone in the office grief — imparting your knowledge with grace is the first step to being an inspirational leader.

Be a helper.

Everyone needs a leg up in their career at some point. Whether that means sharing some pointers on the company you work for, giving insight into a week’s work experience, or passing on a resume to the right person. If someone comes to you for help or advice, give it to those who resonate with you.

Whether you believe in karma or not, the givers always get back the most. Plus, great networking is about investing in others regardless of where they are. Know that if you invest your time into someone who shows grit, they’ll often end up returning the favor when you least expect it in the future.

In the words of Steve Jobs during his famous speech to graduates at Stanford University, “You can’t connect the dots going forward, you can only connect them going backwards.”

Hey, one day that intern could be a CEO — imagine the gratification knowing you’d helped them reach those heights. And the favors they’ll return to you.

Be conscientious.

We’re all busy at work, so it’s easy to let that meeting with the CEO take priority over the meeting you’ve already rescheduled with your team member. Don’t let it. Make time for the people you manage and show them that they are important — at the end of the day, you probably couldn’t do your job without them. Honoring your commitments with your team will build valuable trust. Give everyone equal attention and focus on their goals and how they can achieve them. Crucially, make sure everyone in your team actually has goals — or you risk them feeling uninspired and looking for something new.

Set an example.

In the words of the world-famous inspirer, Mahatma Ghandi, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” From turning up on time, making sure your team aren’t working all hours, preparing well for meetings, to being a positive force in your workplace — whatever your expectations of your team are, exemplify them yourself.

The best way to lose respect is to expect standards from others that you don’t meet for yourself and your team will take notice. Essentially, it’s key to ask yourself: Do you want to be liked or respected? Sometimes you can achieve both, but it’s crucial to start with respect.

Be empathetic, and imaginative.

We are all human. We all feel lost and purposeless at times, and we all have complicated lives. Remembering this can help you to access the empathy inside of you in order to inspire those around you. Even if you have no idea what they are going through or feel like you cannot help. I’m so passionate about healthy minds and empathy in the workplace I wrote a whole piece about it.

In her speech to Harvard graduates JK Rowling touches upon the characteristic that is key to our empathy: imagination.

In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, she says [Imagination] is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experience we have never shared.

We all have the power to imagine what others are feeling, and to imagine something better for those around us. The select few that embody this power are the few that truly inspire others.

So, be imaginative, place yourself in others’ shoes. Be empathetic and have confidence in your own experience. Soon you’ll be inspiring everyone around you to reach their fullest potential and flourish.

And then everyone wins.

8 Things the Smartest Leaders Do to Motivate Their Employees

Science has found that positive emotions are at the root of human motivation. It's how employees "feel" that will drive the motivation deep within them. Here's where to start.

Whether you've been promoted to management recently or have been at it for ten years or longer, one thing never changes: Human nature -- as in that of your employees -- is often unpredictable. Knowing how to motivate each person on a team can be so frustrating and challenging. 

But it can be done if managers have a basic understanding of human behavior -- what makes people tick. What science has already found is that positive emotions (how work and culture make employees feel) are at the root of human motivation. We are wired for it in our creation design.

Therefore, managers must acquire the knowledge of what truly inspires loyal human beings to enthusiastically perform at a high level. 

Let me prescribe eight strategies to help managers create the right atmosphere for motivating others. 

Say for instance that an employee has just taken on a big new assignment when he already feels he has too much on his plate. When there’s open communication, he can feel comfortable approaching his manager about his concerns and ask for guidance.

Offering well-placed praise is one way to let people know that you appreciate their efforts and acknowledge their progress.

His manager, who’s listening actively, will hear that he’s genuinely concerned about being able to deliver at a high level and on time. She’ll be able to create an empathetic environment where the two of them are equally committed to finding the right solution, whatever it might be.

2. THEY OFFER POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

Motivational leaders know how to create a sense of self-worth in their teams by making them feel good about the work they do. Offering well-placed praise is one way to let people know that you appreciate their efforts and acknowledge their progress. Those who are recognized and rewarded feel more confident, which helps them go above and beyond with each new challenge. Recognition also makes people more enthusiastic, cooperative, innovative, and open to change.

“People thrive on positive reinforcement. They can take only a certain amount of criticism, and you may lose them altogether if you criticize them in a personal way . . . you can make a point without being personal. Don’t insult or belittle your people. Instead of getting more out of them you will get less.” —Bill Walsh

“When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you
don’t blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not
doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or
less sun. You never blame the lettuce.” —Thich Nhat Hanh

“The way positive reinforcement is carried out is more important than the amount.” —B. F. Skinner

Despite all the wisdom out there, positive reinforcement is harder to find than you may think. In his book 1,001 Ways to Reward Employees, author Bob Nelson contends that the top two drivers of employee performance are being able to say, “I am able to make a difference at work” and “I have been recognized recently for what I do.” In Nelson’s research, money ranks a distant fifth place. Sadly, over 68% of the workers Nelson interviewed had never received even a simple thank-you.

Nelson also found that while employees rank positive feedback from their boss as their top motivator, supervisors don’t always believe positive reinforcement matters as much as it does. Leaders who truly inspire others understand its real worth.

3. THEY WALK THE WALK

Effective leaders set an example that others feel motivated to follow. Simply telling people what you expect of them or want them to do only goes so far. Being a compelling role model is the surest way to gain commitment from others–by personally demonstrating what you want from your team, not just dictating instructions.

“Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.” —Thomas J. Watson

“[The Master] doesn’t glitter like a jewel . . . [but is] as rugged and common as a stone.” —Lao Tzu

“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.” —Mahatma Gandhi

Alan Deutschman, writing for Bloomburg Businessweek, recounts these real-world examples of leaders who lead by example:

In the early 1960s, when Warren Buffett was recruiting backers for one of his first investment partnerships, he plunged more than 90% of his personal savings into the fund . . . Whenever Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton traveled on business, he rented the same compact economy cars and stayed in the same inexpensive hotels as his employees . . . Ray Kroc picked up the wastepaper in the parking lot whenever he visited a McDonald’s to show cleanliness was a continual job for everyone—even the CEO.

The point is that knowing how to motivate and inspire other people is the key to connect with them. Without that connection, there’s no working together towards a common goal. And a leader who tries to do everything alone isn’t much of a leader at all.