The Four Laws Of Leadership (Part Two)

In Part One, I described the laws of motivation. Inbecome a more effective leader. Put question marks,
Part Two, I'll examine the laws in more detail.Law 1.not periods, at the end of your sentences. That's
Motivation is physical action. Motivation isn't aboutone of the best ways of developing an environment
what people think or feel but about what theyin which people are making the choices for
physically do. In leadership, you should understand theresults.Some of the most powerful questions a leader
difference between inspiration and motivation.Thecan ask are: "What is our challenge here? Why is it
word "inspiration" comes from the ancient Greeksworth tackling? How do we feel about it? Do we
and the oracle of Delphi. The oracle would sit in fronthave the facts we need? Are we asking the right
of a fissure in the earth and breath in (inspire) earthquestions? What results are we really seeking?
vapors and in a half-drugged state, make herWhat's the worse thing that can happen? Why are
pronouncements. For instance, when she told thewe having this problem? Can you explain that
Greeks only a "wall of wood" would save them fromfurther? What if we do nothing? Have we explored
being annihilated by the Persians, it was the Greekscreative approaches? What do you propose? And
themselves who had to take action and build up awhat can I do to help?"Law 3. Emotion drives
great navy that ultimately defeated the Persians atmotivation. The words "emotion" and "motivation"
the Battle of Salamis.Motivation, on the other hand,come from the same Latin root meaning to move.
comes from a complex of words beginning with "mo."When you want to move people to take action, you
Motion, motor, momentum, etc. all denote physicalmust engage their emotions. I'm not talking about
action.Getting people to not simply be inspired butgetting people emotional. I'm talking about having
motivated to take physical action may seem like apeople make strong emotional commitments to what
simple, even simplistic, approach to leadership.you're challenging them to achieve.The best way to
However, once you begin to see your leadershipmake that emotional connection is with Leadership
interactions in terms of physical action, you'll see yourTalks.My experience working with thousands of
leadership, and the way you get results, in freshleaders world wide for the past two decades
ways.For instance, in my seminars, participantsteaches me that most leaders are screwing up their
develop Action Plans designed to achieve measurablecareers. On a daily basis, these leaders are getting
and continual results back on the job. I have themthe wrong results or the right results in the wrong
challenge the cause leaders they enlist to takeways.Interestingly, they themselves are choosing to
physical action by asking them, "What three or fourfail. They're actively sabotaging their own
leadership actions, PHYSICAL ACTIONS, will you takecareers.Leaders commit this sabotage for a simple
to achieve the results we need?" The differencereason: They make the fatal mistake of choosing to
between people simply saying they will execute theircommunicate with presentations and speeches -- not
part of the Plan and their committing to specificleadership talks.In terms of boosting one's career, the
physical actions leads to a significant difference indifference between the two methods of leadership
results.Remember, people who simply take somecommunication is the difference between lightning
action are useless to the organization. The usefuland the lightning bug.Speeches/presentations primarily
ones are those who take action for results. For thecommunicate information. Leadership talks, on the
end of all action in an organization is results.other hand, not only communicate information, they
Therefore, the best action is freely chosen actiondo more: They establish a deep, human emotional
directed toward specific results.Law 2. Motivation isconnection with the audience. For more on the
their choice. When you face a particularly toughLeadership Talk, click on my website in the resource
challenge, avoid meeting that challenge by orderingbox.Law 4. Face-to-face speech is generally the best
people; instead, have people make the choices toway to motivate people (i.e., have those people
meet the challenges.An effective way to have themchoose to be motivated.) A middle-manager told me,
make the right choices is to ask them questions.Here"Where is our new CEO?
is a tip that you can start using immediately to