[October 3, 2013] For any leader, one of their most important tasks is to give inspiration to people in the organization to carry out the mission. The most talented leader not only provides employee enthusiasm but also provides the motivation for their boss(es), peers, and customers.
This is what we mean when we say a leader provides motivation1.
What distinguishes the senior executive leader from all the others is that the senior leader provides the determination and motivation for other senior leaders, as well as providing motivation, focus, and direction to the organization as a whole.
For a senior executive leader, they must be extraordinarily self-motivated and passionate in their role. That leader must know himself or herself, strengths, weaknesses, and possess a strong urge to achieve the organization’s mission.
All leaders should have the leadership qualities to influence motivation. Unfortunately, there is no roadmap for providing motivation to employees.
“Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can’t be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people.” – Lee Iacocca, businessman and philanthropist
What are those characteristics that are found in an inspiring leader? The leader must be able to:
- Be a role model and set the example
- Reward extraordinary behavior
- Synchronize employee needs with organizational needs
- Develop teams and provide them guidance
- Communicate clearly
- Increase team spirit and morale
- Infuse morals and ethics
- Provide motivation
An effective leader will have the knowledge of motivational methods and use them to properly move the organization in the right direction. That leader will know the wishes, desires, goals of employees.
It is leadership that is used to motivate others through inspiration.
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[1] Motivation is an inner drive to behave or act in a certain manner. These inner conditions such as wishes, desires, goals, stimulate us to move in a particular direction in behavior.