3 Valuable Principles Leaders Use to Motivate Others

Do you ever feel like a lifeguard tower at a seagull convention? Although I teach leaders how to motivate others, occasionally I have a hard time practicing what I teach; especially when I am hit by one of life's unexpected waves. How do you feel when you're smacked by a setback at work and home? What do you do when people are difficult, equipment breaks down, your schedule seems out of control, or those seagulls are threatening to hold a convention over your head? To help deal with those difficult days, you might find it helpful to reflect on three principles I learned from Nick. Nick was a friend and coworker at Siemens, several years ago, who crashed his hang-glider into a mountainside. Despite breaking bones in his back, arms, legs, and feet, Nick also smashed every sales record in an entire industry THAT SAME YEAR. Nick's remarkable comeback can help you lead your team back from any setback if you focus on three 'VALUEable' motivational principles. Principle #1 - Recognize Value Does what you do make a difference to anyone? I bet the answer is yes. You and your team make a difference to customers, their families, your coworkers; not to mention the daily influence you have on your family, friends, and neighbors. How often and how well do you remind your team about the value they bring to others? Nick rebounded faster from his disaster because he believed and affirmed that he made a valuable contribution to people at work and home. He reminded himself on a daily basis that the equipment he sold truly helped his customers and their patients. Remember the movie, ‘It's a Wonderful Life’? One of the timeless lessons of this classic is that each of us has a subtle and substantial impact on others. If you want to bounce back quickly from those pesky problems that sting you throughout the day, reaffirm the value you bring to people every day. For example, a leader from one of my classes recently e-mailed me that she now starts her staff meetings by asking her supervisors to report on how they helped others during the week. How could you adapt this idea to fit your team at work and at home? Principle #2 - Appreciate Value While the first lesson reminds us to focus on the value we bring to others, the second asks us to reward this value. It's great to find value in what you and others do, it's also important to celebrate what you find. What you appreciate, appreciates. Nick told me that one of the other reasons he recovered quickly was because his family, friends, and customers applauded the small steps he took getting back to work. I sent him little cards reminding him that his customers appreciated the business calls he was making from his living room couch. How can you celebrate the value your team members bring to their "customers," and each other, every day? Principle #3 - Value the Present Nick says his brush with death gave him a new perspective on life. To live life fully, he realized he needed to value each moment completely. The same is true for you and your team. When you focus on whatever you are doing, you are honoring the very gift of life - which is the present. There is no time except the present. Valuing the present may sound a bit new age, but it's as old as Zen (Be here now!) and religion (THIS is the day the Lord has made!). It is a wonderful life when you focus and value the wonderful minutes that compose life. How might you apply this principle to help you handle the challenging aspects of your life at work and home? Next time a customer is rude, the equipment breaks down, the schedule seems out of control, or those seagulls are circling overhead; remember Nick's 'VALUEable' lessons. Recognize the value in all you do. Celebrate it every day. And do it now.