How Do You as a Leader Motivate Yourself?

Many people I talk with today are totally focused on strategies and tactics for their companies to achieve sustainable growth. While this is paramount, I would like to focus this article on the “other side of the coin.” And that is the side where your leadership skills and energy reside.

Whether you are an owner or leadership team member, are you achieving your inner strength for all those in your company who need your leadership? How do you as a leader motivate yourself?

Here are some key guides I have learned and observed:

1. Focus on your confidence level. To exhibit confidence, focus on what you want to accomplish, not what is wrong or not going as planned. Yes you must deal with reality, but avoid “drama glue.” Drama glue is characterized by continued focus on all that is not right to the extent that it becomes a drama–we talk, think and live the drama. This drama becomes glue that keeps you stuck. Get rid of the drama glue by talking, thinking, and living what you want to be, what you want your people to be, and what you want your company to be. Strong confidence is the result.

2. Take time to step back from your “day to day” operations (I know this is crucial today), and refocus and regenerate on your company purpose. Why are we doing this? Keep your bigger picture in mind and put perspective to your challenges.

3. Stay engaged with your staff, customers and vendors. As Tom Peters would say, manage by wandering around! You will realize immense energy from understanding and embracing their concerns and hearing how much they need your leadership today more than ever.

4. Picture your toughest challenges as an exciting puzzle that you are in the process of solving. Can you think out of the box? No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it by focusing on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

5. Leaders and owners can re-energize by reaching out to other minds such as your council of advisors (you have one don’t you?), supportive friends, colleagues and other key relationships. Remember, he who taps into the most minds wins!

6. And finally, Jack Welch states “Leadership has different seasons. It’s easy to find personal motivation in an upswing. In the heat of battle, however, you need to dig deeper and discover your ‘indomitable soul’ so you can share it with the people who need you most.”

There are many words of wisdom here. Key in on those that you resonate with the most and take action, now and every day, to realize your inner strength.

Contact me to help you shed the drama glue!