10 Key Steps to Motivating Others

By Lynn Anderson

Happiness can be fleeting, but joy is everlasting. The same can be said about managers and leaders. A manager is a dime a dozen and their effectiveness can be fleeting but a true leader finds passion and joy from within them which inspires and leads others to follow. A powerful leader knows how to tap into these 10 steps to create amazing results. However, these steps are not just some cookie cutter approach that you follow, like a recipe. They need to be really heartfelt and strong, since followers can really 'smell' the difference.

Once you have inner joy and a momentum within yourself, you can really inspire and motivate others. Here are the ten ways to help you do so:

1. Create a compelling story that others want to follow. Look deep within yourself, looking at your strengths, values, and purpose. What is the compelling story or vision that you want to use to really motivate your team/others? Can you feel it, taste it, smell it, see it, and touch it? It needs to be vivid to be compelling.
2. Be sure to create a vision that focuses on your end results and be clear about it. Now, take that vision and answer the question, "What is in it for others that might inspire them to join in with my vision? " Put the vision in the individual's point of view, not your own point of view.
3. Establish your plan and get buy-in from others. While this seems obvious, many people create a plan that they are passionate about and get so caught up that they forget to get ideas, suggestions, and buy in from others on their team. Without involvement from the team, it's hard to get their buy in.
4. Clarify each team member's roles within the plan and empower them to get the work done based on their passions. This step is really important for several reasons but mostly because you are showing your commitment to each member of the team. Each feels special and understands that their role is important in the overall success of the team. The empowerment they feel is key to lighting their passion toward the team's goals.
5. Promote creativity and innovation. What can you do to foster creativity within your team, group, or household? How can you take your team's performance up a notch by involving the innovation and creativity of your team members? What wonderful insights might you find by doing so?
6. Nurture your synergies and grow your team. Bring together your team for periodic brainstorming sessions as well as sharing sessions. Not only will this give you valuable insights but it will ignite the fire of the team in being part of the process and solutions.
7. Monitor the progress of your team and maintain an open door policy. You as a leader need to be aware when the team might get off the path and create ways to get everyone back on board. Keeping an open door policy allows others to make you aware, shows commitment and value you place on others, and shows that you are not in it alone. Don't portray yourself as a leader that is not accessible.
8. Keep you resolve. Once you portray your desires and convictions, others will follow! Don't waiver and fall back, stay steadfast in your beliefs. That doesn't mean that you can't make mid-course corrections or change the final outcome, but be true to your vision and what you were setting out to do. No one feels inspired by a wavering leader.
9. Once you attain results, remember to celebrate. Never stop celebrating even the smallest of accomplishments this approach can really give your team the momentum it needs to succeed as well as motivate and inspire them toward greatness.
10. Going forward joyfully. Continue to grow and learn from experiences and take momentum into the next opportunity. Joy inspires joy! Passion, passion. Remember that and keep living through your passion and joy.

Using these 10 steps to inspire your teams and others will provide you the momentum and fuel you need to continue living your life of passion and joy each and every day. Be authentic, be true to who you are and what you love. People can see that and see the difference. So, if you are not inspiring or motivating others, first look within yourself and start with the first step to find your passion and your joy and start conveying your story. What story do you have within you? How can you make it shine?

Lynn Anderson is Chief Executive Officer of Coaching4Abundance LLC (http://www.coaching4abundance.com). Lynn has over 25 years working in the government, corporate, consulting and now entrepreneurial world. She focuses on the positive and continues to look at all dimensions of her life including those of a successful business women, wife, mother, tennis enthusiast and friend to those she comes in contact with. Her philosophy is to live each moment in a positive way, remember your true core values, and live life to the fullest in every possible way. It's up to you but you can do it!

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