Motivation in Motion

Leadership is not about position. Leadership is about a passion for making a difference. – Robin Sharma

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about motivation.  As leaders, it is our responsibility to ensure that our teams are motivated and empowered to move forward to achieve both personal and organizational goals.  Great leaders work daily to keep their teams motivated and inspired.  But who inspires the leader?  How do leaders stay motivated enough to motivate others?

The truth is, all leaders get tired.  On occasion, my own motivation wanes and I just don’t feel inspirational today … or this week … or this month.  Continuously meeting the expectations of others both above and below on the organizational ladder can impact the expectations we have of ourselves.  As leaders, we often spend so much time inspiring others, we forget what inspires us.  These are the thoughts that led me to question the leader’s need for renewed motivation.

So I did what everybody does when they need an answer – I Googled it.  There are over 17,000 results for “how does a leader stay motivated?”  Apparently, I’m not the only leader who finds internal motivation to be challenging at times.  After reading a few articles (not all 17,000, I assure you), I noticed that a majority made the following suggestions: remember your “why,” ensure balance, and find a support system.  All of these suggestions had one thing in common; namely, increasing motivation requires a focus on others rather than self.

Motivation is an inward drive inspired by outward actions.  

When we take our eyes off ourselves and focus externally, we remember why we lead.  Remembering your values and purpose, considering others on the scales of the work-life balance, and accepting support from colleagues all provide an opportunity for leaders to re-focus eyes on a greater aim. Reflecting on motivation beyond the workplace provides the impetus for leaders to lean into leadership and fully move forward once again.