Monday, April 7, 2014

3 Key Motivators of Successful Leaders

Why do people climb mountains? Why do people develop software? Why do people start businesses? Why does anyone do anything? They do things because they are motivated by needs and wants to take an action. As a business leader, you should reflect and determine your three key motivators. Awareness of your intrinsic motivations often provides valuable clarity regarding your personal and professional goals.Not sure what motivates you? Here are my top 3 personal motivators to help you get started on your path to personal discovery…

1) The Challenge

Building a business is not easy. We are faced with obstacles to overcome every day. Each morning, I have one crucial decision to make. I have to decide if I’m going to face the day’s challenges as a “game” or “work.” If you decide to view it as fun, daily challenges are like solving puzzles. When you’re a little kid, you do puzzles for fun. Just because you’re older, and money is involved, why should solving daily business puzzles stop being fun? Sometimes puzzles may be disguised as mundane daily tasks. From commuting to work, to sourcing investment capital, to building a strong management team. All of these are dynamic puzzles. I find that if I approach business as a puzzle, I am more energetic, creative and happy to get up and attack the day. I enjoy overcoming the obstacles. Give it a try today!

2) Financial Stability

Money itself is NOT one of my daily motivators. Money is a way to keep score. Keeping score is an excellent work ethic motivator. It’s the stability of financial success-not the accumulation of money-that is motivating. With stability, comes independence. Once you achieve a certain level of financial success, you can make decisions void of financial need. In business, it is common to make decisions because of financial needs or constraints. Nobody can put you under their thumb if you don’t need their money. You remain in control. If money wasn’t a factor, would you have shaped your company differently?

Money is a measuring stick. Revenue allows us to determine momentum and strength. If a company is growing quickly, you can tell because revenues will increase. If a company is strong, revenues will not deteriorate. I’m a competitive person and I take pride in my work. If I’m investing my time in something, I want the results to show well against my competitors. Let money help you measure your distance to stability but do not let it chart the course.

3) Legacy

Most people’s office spaces contain similar items. It’s common to find pictures of family and friends. These are images of joy, inspiration and motivation. Creating a family or business legacy is a common motivator. Many entrepreneurs start out driven by making their own name. Once I achieved financial stability, my legacy drive switched to making a positive name for my family. Leaving a positive mark on society and the business community drives me daily. I push through difficult times using motivation rooted in creating a legacy. Focus on leaving your mark. What do you want to accomplish? How do you want to be remembered? Think about these questions. Only you control what you decide to do today and tomorrow. Every day, we get the opportunity to make a new impact on the world around us.

Each of us are motivated for different reasons. People always ask, “What do you want in life?” Take some time to ask not what you want, but what makes you do things? Look back at your successes and failures. Figure out what gets you going. Pick three key motivators and tailor them to help you win the daily game that is your life. In business, money can help you measure your strength. Leave a legacy you would be proud of. As a business leader, it is your job to motivate yourself and your team. They will feed off of your energy. Challenge yourself to make a positive impact every day. Leave. Your. Mark.

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