Motivation and Inspiration
November 4, 2006 by Milo Riano
My friend told me about a sudden large bonus his employer offered him, and in exchange for the amount he had to sign a bond and stay with them for a long period of time. He accepted the offer and I got curious and asked him about the effects of the bonus other than the extended length of service. He told me he got motivated to work but not inspired in any way more than he used to be.
As google defines them: Motivation: (1) is the push of the mental forces to accomplish an action. (2) the reason(s) behind a particular character’s actions which causes them to react or act in the way they do.
Inspiration: (1) arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity. (2) a special influence of a divinity on the minds of human beings.
I see motivation as strategies employed to manipulate a person’s behavior while inspiration is something that comes naturally and could not be manipulated in any way.
How do leaders motivate their team?
Simple. A Leader just needs to gather information about their team through meetings, surveys or any form of open communication and address the person’s need as best as they can. It is usually difficult to give the team everything they want; but as long as leaders come up with changes no matter how small, the team gets motivated more.
How do leaders inspire their team?
Inspiring your team is definitely more difficult to do than motivating them because it is usually triggered through emotions and no amount of money or material gifts could help inspire the team. Leaders can inspire the team by defining the value and the greater purpose of what they are doing. The team should be able to see the bigger picture of every action they do and realize that no matter how small their contribution is, the ripple effect extends to other team members, their friends, families, and the world in general.
Conclusion
Motivation and inspiration maybe two different things; but in building a successful team, leaders should find ways for both of them to exist as one within the team.
I’m glad you made distinctions between motivation and inspiration, Milo. Such discernment is usually lacking in leadership literature. Leaders can create inspiring environments and evoke this from their employees without manipulation. For readers who want to be inspirational leaders, I strongly suggest they get familiar with the work of inspirational leader Lance Secretan (http://www.secretan.com). His many books–my favorites being “Inspire! What Great Leaders Do,” “Reclaiming Higher Ground,” and his latest, “ONE: The Art & Practice of Conscious Leadership“–clearly show leaders how to inspire others AND he details the numerous benefits, including great financial gains, that such workplaces enjoy. You can find Lance’s blog at http://www.secretan.com/blog/.
Thanks again! Peace.