Have You Made This Major Leadership Mistake?

Being a leader isn’t always easy. A big part of successfully growing your business depends on motivating others in the most optimal way.

Whether you have a team of employees, are coaching others, or are leading a committee, it can be a mystery on the best ways to inspire others to get the job done.

Many leaders think the best way to motivate is to put pressure on others. The major mistake is that putting pressure on others works only a part of the time.

For long-term leadership success, the key is to notice how individuals are best motivated. Everybody gets things done. Everyone can do multiple types of work. But while putting pressure can speed some people up, it can, and will, adversely slow others down.

The good news is you can avoid this common leadership mistake by just noticing. As a leader, notice how someone is best motivated by spotting their pace. By nature, we all have a pressure channel which impacts how we process work.

The wiring for the brain of a low patience channel profile is such that they jump from task to task without losing productivity or focus. The individual does not have to button down one thing before moving onto the next.

Since they naturally have short attention spans and juggle many items at the same time, they tolerate changes to their work flow or environment. So pressure, something they naturally place on themselves, may work.

People who are naturally wired to be jugglers actually put pressure on themselves and others. They are naturally more tolerant of interruptions and find that they complete work well with that pressure.

However, the wiring for the brain with a high patience channel is just the opposite. When you have a higher patience level, you’re driven to button down one task before moving onto another. The reason is that part of the brain is still “thinking” about what should have been buttoned down.

They work best when they know the order and sequence of their work flow. Lay out work items in a sequential format with ample time to completely absorb the process of work flow.

When not given that ability to button down the task, this person is not as productive because energy is being spent on what should have been buttoned down.

Adding pressure actually distracts them and slows down their productivity. For someone wired this way, constant interruptions, like asking if they are done yet, not only adds pressure but is counterproductive.

Set clear timeframes and walk away giving them uninterrupted time to complete the task. They function best when they have the ability to focus and complete work sequentially.
What motivates one person can have an adverse impact on the opposite type of wiring. When you tune into the best motivational environment for your individual team members and motivate accordingly, watch as you lead your organization to new levels of achievement.