If the Leader Motivates the Team, Who Motivates the Leader?

Business is a mixture of opportunities and challenges. In order to deal with both, you must be able to keep your team motivated. It is also important to keep yourself motivated. The best way to keep your team motivated is to create an environment that allows them to become motivated. It is very hard, if not impossible, to motivate someone that does not want to be motivated.

Motivation is, as the word suggests, a motive for action. It is the reason you do the things you do. Knowing what to do, when to do it and how to do it is an important part of being a leader. However, in order to become an effective leader you also must be motivated and motivate others.

I’ve often heard business owners and leaders talk about how important and difficult it is to keep teams motivated. They will tend to forget what their own motivation is for having the business or being the leader of the team. Keeping the fires of passion and commitment burning is what allows the leader to stay effective.

So what is the answer to the question, “Who motivates the leader?” Quite simply, the leader must motivate himself or herself. Self-motivation is a key trait of the most successful business people.

The key to staying self-motivated begins with this simple question. “What gives your life meaning and purpose? If you are not sure what you are working for, then it is very hard to stay motivated doing it. Why did you start your business in the first place? What makes you get out of bed each morning? What is your end-game? If you are doing it simply for money to pay the bills, then your motivation will continually waiver. You must have a deeper purpose.

As your success increases, it is more likely you will need to take on more challenges. These may take you further away from doing the work you loved doing when you started the business. Your workload may increase and you could find yourself putting in more hours, taking you away from spending time on things you enjoy. If you understand and keep focused on the “why” of what you are doing – what your end-game is – then it is easier to remain motivated.

Whenever you start to feel burned out or disengaged, ask yourself, what is the purpose and meaning behind what I am doing? Conducting this self analysis, will likely tell you what is getting in your way and what you need to do to re-energize your passion.

Here are a few ideas to re-energize if you find yourself slipping.

1. Get Away. Take time from your schedule to go somewhere you can relax and reflect. Think about what life has been telling you lately and what you have been learning from it. Are you going in the direction you intend to, or do you need to make some adjustments. Taking time to relax and reflect is a great way to recharge your batteries.
2. Learn something new. Pick up a book, take a class, visit another business, or join a group of successful business people. Learning something new opens your mind to new possibilities and expands your way of looking at things. It will refresh your mind and your spirits.
3. Renew a Relationship. Take time to reconnect with someone you have not talked with for some time. Or, spend some extra time with family or friends. This is a great way to remind you why you are doing what you are doing.
4. Review and write down your beliefs. How strong are your beliefs? What is it that you believe in passionately? Do your beliefs align with your actions? Do you believe enough in what you are doing to commit to it without reservation? If your beliefs are not powerful enough then you will have a hard time staying motivated. Make adjustments in your beliefs or your actions to get back in alignment.

To stay motivated make sure you work as hard on yourself as you do on your business. Personal and professional development leads you to renewal. Keep yourself motivated and you will find that it is easier to create a culture in your business that allows others to be motivated as well.