Lighting a Fire

You will often find yourself in a position in which you need to get your employees energized and motivated to work hard and enthusiastically. One who has adopted the rule-through-fear paradigm will consider this the time to become forceful and aggressive, but this can frequently backfire. Instead, an effective leader uses inspiration and positivity to harness enthusiasm in employees. Lighting a fire isn’t akin to burning down the house so much as shining a light to guide your employees. Here are some suggestions for increasing employees’ enthusiasm:

• Share inspiring quotes, speeches, or ideas. While the movie The Wolf of Wall Street is not a great example of ethical leadership, it does give a good idea of how powerfully inspiration can foster enthusiasm in employees. This is why coaches in professional sports like to give the “Win one for the Gipper” -style speeches.
•  Use upbeat music to get people going. Music that has a good beat and makes people want to dance also helps to instill enthusiasm and a kind of esprit de corps.
• Celebrate group and individual successes in order to foster a positive and forward-looking morale.

Until next time ...

 

Sheryl Tuchman, SPHR, SHRM-SCP