Leadership
Should Leaders Even Bother To Try To Motivate Their Team?
Unlocking The Inner SuperHero: A Different Perspective on Motivation and Leadership
Let’s be frank.
The term “motivation” has become a buzzword thrown around boardrooms, self-help seminars, and social media posts so much so that its meaning has been diluted. But what exactly is motivation, and why have we been getting it wrong for so long?
Some people describe motivation as a mental push or pull that helps us finish projects, save for retirement, or even ask someone out on a date. It’s seen as the linchpin of behavior, steering us like a ship’s captain navigating the choppy seas of life’s challenges. In the realm of psychology, motivation is sliced and diced into various categories, most notably intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
But here’s where it gets interesting — motivation isn’t a one-size-fits-all equation. It’s like a chameleon, changing its hue depending on the environment. It’s dynamic, like your personality and its level can fluctuate. It’s not synonymous with your temperament, which remains pretty constant over time.
Enter Powernality™
Allow me to introduce Powernality™, a groundbreaking assessment tool that shifts the focus from mere surface-level personality to a more in-depth exploration of your inner temperament. Think of your personality as the paint on a canvas and your temperament as the actual fabric of the canvas itself.
Using superhero-themed avatars — COMMANDR™, ENERGIZR™, PROTECTR™, and CALCULATR™ — Powernality™ offers a fresh, relatable approach to understanding your own “SuperPowers” and “limitations.” In doing so, it allows you to intentionally activate your true “hero-mode,” helping you bring your best self to every situation. Your “Super-Self!”
The Real Source of Motivation
Powernality™ recognizes two key layers of who you are — your ‘Preferred Behavior Style,’ which is your inherent temperament, and your ‘Presented Behavior Style,’ shaped by your environment and experiences. Here’s the kicker: when these two align, motivation flows naturally, like a river unobstructed by dams. Stress levels dip and productivity soars.
So let’s say you’re a CALCULATR™ at your core — analytical, detail-oriented, and systematic. However, your current job requires you to play the role of an ENERGIZR™ — spontaneous, outgoing, and social. The internal clash between who you are and who you’re expected to create a type of motivational friction, making tasks seem more like burdens than opportunities.
Leaders, Stop Playing The Motivation Game
Leaders often find themselves on a Sisyphean task of trying to “motivate” their team, offering incentives, promotions, or public acknowledgments. But what they’re missing is that motivation isn’t something you can hand someone like a cup of coffee. This is because motivation is intrinsic — it’s the gasoline in someone’s car, not the push you give it.
Instead of trying to motivate, leaders should focus on helping team members activate their true Super-Self, their inherent “Powernality™.”
Imagine a workplace where everyone functions in their superhero mode. It’s like assembling an Avengers team where every member knows their superpowers and limitations and uses them to contribute to the team’s mission.
How to Activate the Super-Self in Others
- Know Their SuperPowers: Utilize a tool like Powernality™ to understand the inherent strengths and limitations of your team.
- Align Tasks With Temperament: Stop assigning roles haphazardly. Make the CALCULATR™ your project manager and let the ENERGIZR™ handle client relations.
- Create an Environment of Authenticity: Make it acceptable for people to say, “This task aligns with my SuperPowers” or “This task triggers my limitations.”
- Inspire, Don’t Motivate: Inspiration comes when a person sees how they fit into the bigger picture. Show them how their SuperPowers contribute to the overall goal.
Super-Self-Motivated
As we navigate the complicated tapestry of human behavior, Powernality™ serves as a modern-day Rosetta Stone, deciphering the ancient codes of motivation, temperament, and value.
When we step into our true Super-Self, we don’t just become more motivated; we become more authentic, less stressed, and ultimately, more valuable to everyone around us.
So go ahead, don your superhero cape, and unlock the Powernality™ within you.
After all, the world needs more SuperHeroes…
Just. Like. You.
