The Four Laws Of Leadership (Part One)
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Summary: The best leadership is motivational. But the author
contends that most leaders misunderstand motivation. In this two
part article, he describes four laws of motivation that will
help you be a better motivational leader.
The Four Laws Of Leadership. (Part One) by Brent Filson
Leadership is motivational or it's stumbling in the dark. After
all, isn't it more effective to have people want to go from
point A to point B instead of to be ordered to go from A to B?
The ability to instill "want to" in others, to motivate them,
marks the difference between average leaders and great leaders.
But many leaders misunderstand the true meaning of motivation.
And if you misunderstand its meaning, you can't make it happen.
Break the laws, and you'll fail to motivate people. Or you may
motivate them -- but motivate them against you.
Here are four "laws" of motivation that you must adhere to if
you want to consistently motivate people to get great results.
First, let's be clear about what motivation is. The word derives
from the Latin root "to move." Motivation involves movement; yet
the Latin root indicates it's not just movement but also "that
which triggers movement." Don't get me wrong. I'm not counting
angels on the head of a pin. This subtle double meaning in the
very root of the word motivation represents a manifest
leadership lesson for you.
This lesson can be understood within the context of the four
laws of motivation.
Law 1. Motivation is physical action. Note that the first two
letters of the word are the first two letters of words such as
"motor", "movement", "momentum", "motion". Those words denote
physical action. Motivation isn't what people think or feel but
what they physically do. Furthermore, it is not simply engaging
in physical action but also preparing for physical action. In
other words, there is action and also that which triggers the
action.
Law 2. Motivation is their choice. Many leaders are clueless
about motivation because they think it's their own choice. They
think because they simply want people to be motivated, people
should automatically be motivated. That misunderstanding has
caused many a leader to come to grief. The act of their being
motivated is not your choice, it's theirs, always. Motivation
can't be done to people. People must "do" motivation to
themselves. Leaders communicate, and the people they lead
motivate themselves.
Law 3. Emotion drives motivation. The words emotion and
motivation come from the same Latin root "to move". When you
want to move people to take action, engage their emotions.
Motivation involves emotionally commitment.
Law 4. Face-to-face speech is generally the best way to motivate
people (i.e., have those people choose to be motivated.)
With these concepts in mind, you can begin to get a clear
understanding of motivation by studying the past.
This exercise will sharpen your ideas on motivation. Who were
the three most effective leaders in history? Why were they
effective? Who were the three least effective? Why were they
ineffective? Who are the most effective leaders in your
industry? Why are they effective? Who are the least effective
leaders in your industry? Why are they ineffective? Who are the
most effective leaders in your organization? Why are they
ineffective?
Now go back over each answer and tie it to motivation or lack
there of. What motivational lesson is there in each answer? In
doing so, you may find yourself changing and sharpening your
ideas about motivation; and hence changing and sharpening your
leadership skills.
In Part Two, I will expand on each law.
2005