Cultivate Inspired Leadership with Influence & Motivation
Leaders who can effectively influence and motivate bring a touch of magic to their organizations. They unleash new levels of performance in employees who become energized to help the company achieve or exceed its objectives.
Influence is the ability to inspire others to take action. It’s about creating a compelling vision and persuading staff to embrace it. Motivation describes an individual’s willingness to exert effort in pursuit of a goal or outcome. Leaders with these skills ignite the innate drive that lives within people to fuel peak performance.
The Synergy of Influence and Motivation
Influence without motivation can lead to compliance without enthusiasm, while motivation without influence may result in high energy with misaligned efforts. The true alchemy happens when these two elements are blended.
Through the integration of influence and motivation, leaders can align employee efforts toward common organizational goals while also tapping into intrinsic interests, so personnel are committed to advancing collective objectives.
Tips to Build Influence
1. Build Authentic Relationships: Personnel experience a 34% increase in goal attainment, a 36% increase in well-being and a 92% increase in professional growth when connections in the workplace are strong. Trust is the cornerstone of influence. Develop genuine connections with your team members by showing interest in their personal and professional lives.
2. Communicate Effectively: Clear, concise and compelling communication helps convey your vision. Be sure to regularly share the objectives and goals the company seeks to achieve, while also painting the picture of the future state you envision. Use storytelling to make your messages memorable and impactful.
3. Lead by Example: As the adage says, actions speak louder than words. Walk the talk by demonstrating the behaviors and attitudes you wish to see in your team. By living the organization’s values, leaders will model the way and bring employees along toward that shared vision for the company.
4. Empower Others: Staff are 4.6 times more likely to feel invested bringing their best to work when their voices are heard. Encourage your team members to share their input and ideas to achieve the company’s goals. Also, empower them with reasonable autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work.
Associates to better influence your colleagues: Log in to Emergenetics+ and download How to Present to the Emergenetics Attributes for pointers on how to present to each of the seven Emergenetics Attributes in a way that will engage them.
Methods to Motivate Your Team
1. Understand Individual Motivators: Each team member is inspired by different factors. Learn what energizes each person, whether it’s recognition, growth opportunities, a sense of autonomy or purpose. Ask staff about the distinct elements of a project that excite them and speak to those interests. Our recent blog post can also offer some more ideas for implementation.
Productivity and efficiency improve by 20% when employees are motivated. (Gallup)
2. Create a Positive Work Environment: One study found that workers who ranked high for optimism were six times more likely to be highly engaged at work. Promote a positive atmosphere to foster a culture of respect, collaboration and support. Embrace a strengths-based approach and celebrate the diverse gifts that each employee brings to the company.
3. Set Engaging Goals: Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) to give staff a sense of direction. Ensure that the objectives set are challenging yet achievable to galvanize the workforce. I also recommend including staff in the goal-setting process, so their voice and interests are reflected in the targets they are trying to achieve.
4. Provide Regular Feedback and Acknowledgement: Recognition boosts trust and engagement for the entire workforce. To increase confidence and promote a positive work ethic, acknowledge wins big and small, and provide intentional feedback. Offer insights to help staff optimize their performance and ensure that others see their successes to further amplify motivation.
Associates: Log in to Emergenetics+ and download How to Fuel Your Motivation. The worksheet can be shared with your stakeholders to increase engagement using their preferred Emergenetics Attributes.
While the results of a leadership style that embraces motivation and influence may inspire awe, the good news is that you do not have to be an actual magician to unlock your people’s potential. By introducing these practices, executives and managers can spark a powerful shift in their approach that leads to better outcomes as well as more productive and proactive employees.
Discover how Emergenetics will empower you to advance your leadership skills to meet the demands of the future of work. Visit our website, Download our 10 Essential Skills for Leaders guide or fill out the form below to speak with one of our team members today!
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