Replenish The Well Often
Zig Ziglar said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.”
Motivation is a well that runs dry very quickly if not replenished often. While working with one organization, I began coaching one of the top-level leaders who was responsible for all of the operation managers in the company. He had become increasingly frustrated at the low morale of his team. He felt they had lost their drive to move the company forward. He wasn’t sure if they were the right fit anymore.
As we began to uncover the problem, we, in fact, discovered that he was the problem. This leader had failed to develop the morale of his team. He expected them to have automatic enthusiasm without having to be involved in the process. Thinking that an annual team-building meeting would supply enough encouragement for the other eleven months caused his team to run out of gas. He came to realize that his team was suffering from what I call “affirmation deprivation.” He viewed encouragement as a leadership event, not a leadership lifestyle.
But the truth is, it’s a lifestyle. People need affirmation on a consistent basis in one way or another. This leader began to see how he had neglected the responsibility to be there for his team. He was so caught up in doing what he needed to do, that he forgot to be what his team needed him to be. Instead of being distant from them he started to develop them by spending time building their courage through specific affirmation. This had a dramatic effect on the morale of his team. They began to feel needed, valued, and united, which increased their enthusiasm to be more productive. He now has made it a habit to walk through the halls in his company looking for ways to build his team up whenever he can.
While on a conference call with my mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell, I was able to learn about a conversation that impacted him greatly. During a dinner with Truett Cathy, the founder of Chik-fil-A, Truett looked at John and said, “Do you know how to tell if someone needs encouragement?”
John asked, “How?”
He quickly responded, “That person is breathing.”
This nugget of truth that Dr. Maxwell gleaned during a dinner meeting is the same nugget the leader I mentioned in the story above learned.
People need motivation like they need the air they breathe. It’s a necessity, not a luxury.
* Taken from my book Leadology: 12 Ideas To Level Up Your Leadership available here.
