Know Your Team’s Motive

In 1981, multi-millionaire Eugene Lang greatly changed the lives of a sixth-grade class in East Harlem. Mr. Lang had been asked to speak to a class of sixty-one sixth-graders. What could he say to inspire these students, most of who would drop out of school? He wondered how he could get these predominantly African-American and Puerto Rican children to look even at him.

Scrapping his notes, he decided to speak to them from his heart. “Stay in school,” he said. “And I’ll help pay the college tuition for every one of you.” At that moment, the countenance of these students changed. For the first time, they had hope, and it motivated them. One student remarked, “I had something to look forward to, something waiting for me. It was a golden feeling.” In fact, Mr. Lang went further than just donating money. He created programs to keep them college-bound by providing tutors, field trips to colleges, an open door to his office, and, most importantly, his encouragement. Nearly 90% of that class went on to graduate from high school.

Eugene Lang motivated those sixth-graders to be and do more. There is no such thing as an “unmotivated” person; just people who haven’t found what their motivation is yet. Everyone is motivated by something. Whenever I see an “unmotivated” person, I always wonder what it would take for them to be inspired. I ask myself, “What would drive them to move forward?” Many times, leaders are at a loss when it comes to knowing how to motivate others because they haven’t taken the proper time to find out what drives them. If you can’t figure it out, don’t be afraid to sit down and simply ask the person what their motivation is. This will give you great insight that will help you spur them on.

Understand that everyone is motivated by something. As a leader, the more you know someone’s motivation, the better you can lead them. Go on a discovery journey and start to dig into your team’s dreams and desires. Not only will it connect you to them on a personal level, but it will give you the needed insight to leverage for future productivity. Know your team’s inner motive and you’ll motivate your team’s outer production.