MASTER MOTIVATION: THREE VALUABLE SKILLS EVERY INSPIRING LEADER CAN USE

`“Leadership is not just about giving energy…it’s unleashing other people’s energy.” Paul Polman

When you think about the leader you were willing to “run through a wall” for, what about them motivated you to give your all?  How did their leadership style inspire you to take on challenges that would stretch you beyond your limits? What were the leadership qualities you found most motivating? How did they demonstrate their care about you, your growth, development, or well-being? To answer these questions, let’s look at three valuable skills that will help you begin to master motivation.

Motivate with Purpose

Motivation drives an individual's intensity, direction, and persistence in pursuing a goal. ​ It involves the internal and external factors that stimulate people's desire and energy to be continually interested in and committed to accomplishing a goal. ​Leaders who are strong at inspiring others can guide people to give their best by communicating a motivating mission that gives meaning and purpose to a person’s day-to-day tasks. “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things”—Ronald Reagan.

Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, was a leader people were excited to follow because she purposefully communicated a clear, forward-thinking vision and modeled an authentic, people-centered approach. She implemented "Performance with Purpose," which motivated her team to feel part of something meaningful because it aligned PepsiCo's success with positive social and environmental impacts. Indra’s convictions compelled her to courageously invest $1 billion to overhaul PepsiCo’s IT systems. By listening and meaningfully engaging others, she earned the trust and support of her skeptics.  Indra’s motivation to win was rooted in making her family proud. She developed the unique practice of writing letters to employees’ parents to recognize their contributions, showing her deep appreciation for each individual’s value. Indra is the only leader I know who used this approach, fostering an inclusive culture and motivating employees to give their best. This thoughtful, empathetic leadership style, alongside her strategic focus, created a culture where people were eager to contribute, knowing they were part of a purposeful journey that would make an impact. A CNBC article summed up the effect of a leader who mastered motivation with the title, “Follow Indra Nooyi’s example: Become a leader people are excited to follow.”

You can motivate your team by clearly communicating a purpose to inspire them to find meaning in their work. Communicate the purpose in daily interactions, emails, meetings, huddles, training, and all organization communications. Engage your team by actively listening to concerns and involving some critics to foster trust and earn their support. These intentional actions can help you become a leader that people will be excited to follow and will motivate your team to give their best, knowing they are working with purpose.

Motivate with Care

Simon Sinek said, "Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge." Caring for your team is essential to effective leadership. Caring leaders lead with empathy, compassion, and genuine concern for the well-being and development of others. ​ They actively listen, support, and value team members, creating a positive and inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and motivated to contribute their best.

During his tenure as CEO of American Express, Ken Chenault was known for his caring leadership style as he focused on employee engagement and customer satisfaction. He navigated through the challenge of balancing compassion and decisiveness. Ken balanced these two qualities when he made the tough decision to lay off 15,000 employees after the economic downturn. He believed the people did not deserve what was happening to them in these difficult situations, but the circumstances required the course of action. He showed how much he cared and committed to caring for the people impacted. When Ken made this difficult but necessary business decision, he demonstrated compassion by devoting the resources necessary to help displaced employees find new jobs and opportunities. He held his executive team responsible for employee engagement, and their compensation was directly impacted by employee satisfaction survey feedback from existing and former employees. His actions received high ratings from both groups.

Ken believed leaders who fail to care for the business and its people will lose their privilege to lead. Caring for his people was his top priority. He said, “From a leadership standpoint, you have to demonstrate that you have your priorities in order. The first priority is your people. You've got to focus on their safety, health, and well-being.”  How would each team member rate your care on a scale of 1-5 (1 very poor and 5 very good)? How do you show empathy and genuine concern for your team's well-being? What steps can you take to deepen your level of care for everyone on your team?

Motivate with Recognition

 

Employees are motivated and feel valued when receiving consistent public recognition and acknowledgment for a job well done. Gallup's data reveal that the most effective recognition is honest, genuine, and individualized for each employee. A Gallup workplace survey revealed the most meaningful and memorable recognition comes from an employee's manager, high-level leader or CEO, or the manager's manager. Every Friday, my leadership team and I huddled our teams for 15 to 30 minutes and publicly recognized individuals for doing a great job. We read emails from happy customers, shared positive customer survey comments, top customer service scores, and any information specifically highlighting individuals on our team who exceeded expectations. We intentionally showed our appreciation and celebrated our teams' outstanding work. We gave out low or no-cost gifts, including thank-you cards, shook hands, and provided continental breakfast to-go. This motivated our average performers to level up because they wanted some of the “shine” their high-performing peers received. Recognition generates incredible positive energy that elevates job performance. When done correctly and consistently, reward and recognition will motivate your team to give their best! McKinsey & Company found that non-financial rewards like praise boosted morale and motivation.

If you want to motivate your team and make them feel valued, here are some winning solutions. Start by holding weekly or bi-weekly recognition huddles (10-20 minutes, depending on group size) to publicly celebrate individual and team achievements, celebrating specific examples of high performance. Ensure the recognition is genuine, meaningful, and personalized to each employee's preferences, as some may prefer private or ‘low-key” acknowledgment. Share customer feedback, survey results, and success stories to highlight outstanding work. Incorporate low or no-cost rewards such as thank-you cards, small tokens of appreciation, or team continental grab-and-go breakfasts to make recognition tangible. Involve managers and senior leaders in delivering meaningful praise to reinforce a culture of appreciation. “Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free—and worth a fortune.”—Sam Walton

Master Motivation

Mastering motivation happens by consistently honing the three valuable skills of leading with purpose, care, and recognition. Communicate a meaningful mission that connects each individual’s efforts to a greater purpose. Show empathy and care by actively listening, addressing concerns, and prioritizing your team’s well-being. Keep the positive energy going through consistent, personalized recognition, celebrating achievements that resonate with individuals through public praise, small gestures, or shared success stories. These strategies will create a culture where your teams feel valued, inspired, and committed to giving their best.

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  LeaderLift equips individuals to “Master Motivation” through assessments, training, coaching, consulting programs, and keynote speaking. Our hands-on approach to leadership development helps participants lift their performance and make a positive and sustained impact within their organizations.

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