Thread
Leadership is hard.
98% of the time you feel lost. You are guiding others but barely know how to guide yourself.
How do you motivate your team? When do cheer vs correct?
When I was a young leader, I wish I had a system for how to motivate.
Then I found one:
98% of the time you feel lost. You are guiding others but barely know how to guide yourself.
How do you motivate your team? When do cheer vs correct?
When I was a young leader, I wish I had a system for how to motivate.
Then I found one:
1/ Leaders typically motivate their teams using 1 of 5 forms of motivation (these are learned from parents, teachers, and other leaders)
The most common forms are:
1. Fear
2. Extrinsic
3. Intrinsic
4. Genius
5. Love
So what's the secret to motivating your team?
The most common forms are:
1. Fear
2. Extrinsic
3. Intrinsic
4. Genius
5. Love
So what's the secret to motivating your team?
2/ First, look at how you motivate yourself
Before you read on, remember, there is no right or wrong here. Each type of motivator has tradeoffs
Let’s unpack each of them:
Before you read on, remember, there is no right or wrong here. Each type of motivator has tradeoffs
Let’s unpack each of them:
3/ Fear - typically looks like blame, shame and guilt. Yet it can be HIGHLY effective
Put a gun to my head and I’ll run faster than I ever have in my life
Fear happens when we experience threat (either real or our ego)
Put a gun to my head and I’ll run faster than I ever have in my life
Fear happens when we experience threat (either real or our ego)
4/ While it can be highly effective, it tends to leave a negative residue on ourselves and others
It also generally isn’t sustainable: once the threat is gone, so is our motivation
It also generally isn’t sustainable: once the threat is gone, so is our motivation
5/ Extrinsic - money, titles, status and anything we can signal to the outside world (twitter followers!)
Also highly effective but tends to hollow you out/not be sustainable
Once you hit a target, you set a new one.
Otherwise, how else will you “stay” motivated?
Also highly effective but tends to hollow you out/not be sustainable
Once you hit a target, you set a new one.
Otherwise, how else will you “stay” motivated?
6/ Intrinsic - this looks like beating your own time
Learning focused, fulfilling a purpose you may have
This can prove challenging since it can move around. But if you find it, it can sustain
Better yet, it doesn’t leave negative residue on others
Now we get to have fun...
Learning focused, fulfilling a purpose you may have
This can prove challenging since it can move around. But if you find it, it can sustain
Better yet, it doesn’t leave negative residue on others
Now we get to have fun...
7/ Genius - this is when we do something that feels like “play” to us.
Imagine being in the “zone”... you’re energized, ideas are flowing, and every piece of work you do just keeps GIVING energy vs depleting it.
This is genius.
Imagine being in the “zone”... you’re energized, ideas are flowing, and every piece of work you do just keeps GIVING energy vs depleting it.
This is genius.
8/ Not only is it sustainable, but it compounds.
When you are in your genius, you often invite others into theirs. EVERYONE feels motivated that way.
When you are in your genius, you often invite others into theirs. EVERYONE feels motivated that way.
9/ Love - this is less like the love of a child by a parent and more of an empathic love.
Imagine a restauranteur/chef. Do they love food? Sure...
Imagine a restauranteur/chef. Do they love food? Sure...
10/ But what drives them most is empathy towards the HUMAN experience of breaking bread/connecting over a meal.
When you’re focused on helping others, it infuses you with energy and leads to some of your best work.
When you’re focused on helping others, it infuses you with energy and leads to some of your best work.
11/ Lets observe some of these in the real world:
Bill Gates - notoriously led via FEAR. He would dig into code and yell at his team.
It was effective: he became the richest man in the world.
Then what happened?
Bill Gates - notoriously led via FEAR. He would dig into code and yell at his team.
It was effective: he became the richest man in the world.
Then what happened?
12/ It didn’t sustain him!
He left his company to start his foundation which squarely focused on improving the human experience. And he will work there longer than MSFT!
Now his best friend…
He left his company to start his foundation which squarely focused on improving the human experience. And he will work there longer than MSFT!
Now his best friend…
13/ Warren Buffet - he has done the same thing EVERY day since he was in his early 30s!
60+ years!
And when he talks about investing, analyzing companies, he exudes “kid in the candy store” type energy.
This is a person working from his GENIUS. And its evergreen.
But Jesse…
60+ years!
And when he talks about investing, analyzing companies, he exudes “kid in the candy store” type energy.
This is a person working from his GENIUS. And its evergreen.
But Jesse…
14/ I am motivated by ALL of these things.
Yes, you are. This is where it gets interesting.
While people tend to choose a main type of motivator (usually unconsciously)
“How” we are motivated (and therefore how we lead others) is really a moment by moment thing...
Yes, you are. This is where it gets interesting.
While people tend to choose a main type of motivator (usually unconsciously)
“How” we are motivated (and therefore how we lead others) is really a moment by moment thing...
15/ You see bad numbers - you feel fear, that motivates you.
You mock up a landing page - you feel your genius, that motivates you.
You bet on a hire and they crush it - you feel love, that motivates you.
The key thing…
You mock up a landing page - you feel your genius, that motivates you.
You bet on a hire and they crush it - you feel love, that motivates you.
The key thing…
16/ Noticing what's motivating you and CHOOSING how you show up minute to minute.
Days, weeks and years are made up of moments.
If you choose “genius” moment to moment, you will start to motivate yourself that way and then lead others that way too.
So how do you do this?
Days, weeks and years are made up of moments.
If you choose “genius” moment to moment, you will start to motivate yourself that way and then lead others that way too.
So how do you do this?
17/ First, now that you are aware of this framework…
pause before a meeting or call, take a few deep breaths and be honest with yourself:
What are you feeling?
How do you want to show up?
Which motivator will you choose?
pause before a meeting or call, take a few deep breaths and be honest with yourself:
What are you feeling?
How do you want to show up?
Which motivator will you choose?
18/ Second, figure out your Zone of Genius - this was a game changer for me.
How can you be in Genius mode if you don't know your genius?
There are great exercises for this linked in the sources, but the quick version is easy...
How can you be in Genius mode if you don't know your genius?
There are great exercises for this linked in the sources, but the quick version is easy...
19/ Ask others + reflect on things that truly give you energy and where you do your best work.
One of the funniest things about genius is its often a blind spot because it feels so natural.
One of the funniest things about genius is its often a blind spot because it feels so natural.
20/ Third, talk about THIS with your team!
Share this framework.
Read the 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership. Make talking about your motivators IN the moment part of how you lead.
Learn what's natural to your team, their genius, and make it how you run your team.
Share this framework.
Read the 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership. Make talking about your motivators IN the moment part of how you lead.
Learn what's natural to your team, their genius, and make it how you run your team.
21/ Bonus: Notice how I never mentioned the actual CONTENT of the work. The truth is: "WHAT" you are doing doesn't matter so much as "FROM WHERE" you are doing it
A cancer curing startup can be run from a founders fear/extrinsic motivation as much as her genis/love motivation
A cancer curing startup can be run from a founders fear/extrinsic motivation as much as her genis/love motivation
22/ Last, but not least, be kind and patient.
When I first noticed this, I got MAD at myself for being fear or extrinsic driven
I felt fear about feeling fear!
The path to grow comes from accepting yourself and choosing to be different. All 5 of these are natural and normal...
When I first noticed this, I got MAD at myself for being fear or extrinsic driven
I felt fear about feeling fear!
The path to grow comes from accepting yourself and choosing to be different. All 5 of these are natural and normal...
23/ If you enjoyed this thread, follow me @jspujji
I tweet advice and stories about entrepreneurship and leadership like this every week.
RT the whole thread to share this amazing advice!!
I tweet advice and stories about entrepreneurship and leadership like this every week.
RT the whole thread to share this amazing advice!!
24/ Sources from @ConsciousLG
conscious.is/resources/handouts
conscious.is/excercises-guides/genius-campaign
conscious.is/excercises-guides/daily-energy-audit
conscious.is/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9flL9b6T5fw
conscious.is/resources/handouts
conscious.is/excercises-guides/genius-campaign
conscious.is/excercises-guides/daily-energy-audit
conscious.is/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9flL9b6T5fw
25/ And don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter: The 3-1-4.
It comes up every other week with 3 links, 1 thought and 4 tweets.
www.getrevue.co/profile/jspujji
It comes up every other week with 3 links, 1 thought and 4 tweets.
www.getrevue.co/profile/jspujji
