Motivation

Motivation. Do we need it? Do you need it? What is it? Why?

I’ve been thinking about motivation lately and how it relates to a leadership position, be it at work, at home or in the community. Do we really, or should we really, have to motivate people as part of being a leader?

I’ve read several books and articles on the subject and I’m torn between motivation and inspiration and the differences between those. When I get a team to perform and complete a goal or mission, did I motivate them to do it or did I inspire them to do it? And what exactly was it I did that either motivated or inspired them?

So, back to the good ol’ dictionary we go…

Motivation: the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

Inspiration: the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

If we take those 2 definitions at face value, I’d like to propose this thought:

A manager or a weaker leader can motivate people to do something with the reason of authority, such as “Do this or I’ll fire you” or “If we meet our goals, we’ll get a bonus”

A strong leader, I think, should be striving to be an inspiration, to present a goal or problem to the team and then after giving them the reasons why or what, let them be creative and act on their creativity, to delegate authority to the team to act.

I'll likely continue pondering this for some time, and if you’re willing, I’d love to hear your thoughts as well. Hit the comment button.

I’ll also add this to my Substack Chat feature, only available on the app. Check it out.

Until next time, Lead Forward!

Semper Fortis

Chief Chuck