How to Become a Motivational Leader

Posting Date: July 26, 2006 The Leader as Role Model Its been said, Leadership is not what you do, but who you are. This, however, is only partially true. Leadership is very much who you are, but it cannot be divorced from what you do. Who you are represents the inner person, and what you do represents the outer person. Each is dependent on the other for maximum effectiveness. The starting point of motivational leadership is to begin seeing yourself as a role model, as an example to others. One key characteristic of leaders is that they set high standards of accountability for themselves and for their behaviors. They assume that others are watching them and setting their own standards according to what they see. Leadership Power In business, there are several kinds of power. Two of these are position power and ascribed power: Position power is the power that comes with a job title or position in any organization. If you become a manager in a company, you automatically have certain powers and privileges that go along with your rank. You can order people about and make certain decisions. You can be a leader whether or not anyone likes you. Ascribed power is the power you gain because of the kind of person you are. In every organization, there are people who are inordinately influential and looked up to by others, even though their positions may not be high up on the organizational chart. These are the men and women who are genuine leaders because of the quality of the people they have become, because of their characters and their personalities. Over the years, we have been led to believe that leaders are those who stride boldly about, exude power and confidence, give orders and make decisions for others to carry out. However, that is old school thinking. The leader of today is the one who asks questions, listens carefully, plans diligently and then builds consensus among all those who are necessary for achieving the goals. The leader does not try to do it by him or herself. The leader gets things done by helping others to do them. Motivational Leading This brings us to five of the qualities of motivational leaders. These are qualities that you already have to a certain degree and that you can develop further to stand out from the people around you in a very short period of time.

1. Vision. This is the one single quality that, more than anything, separates leaders from followers. Leaders have vision. Followers do not. Leaders have the ability to stand back and see the big picture. Followers are caught up in day-to-day activities. Leaders have developed the ability to fix their eyes on the horizon and see greater possibilities. Followers are those whose eyes are fixed on the ground in front of them and who are so busy that they seldom look at themselves and their activities in a larger context. The most motivational vision you can have for yourself and others is to Be the best! Many people dont yet realize that excellent performance in serving other people is an absolute, basic essential for survival in the economy of the future. Many individuals and companies still adhere to the idea that as long as they are no worse than anyone else, they can remain in business. That is prehistoric thinking. We are now in the age of excellence. Customers assume that they will get excellent quality, and if they dont, they will go to your competitors so fast, peoples heads will spin. 2. Integrity. This is perhaps the single most respected quality of leaders. Integrity is complete, unflinching honesty with regard to everything that you say and do. Integrity underlies all the other qualities. Your measure of integrity is determined by how honest you are in the critical areas of your life. Integrity means this: When someone asks you at the end of the day, Did you do your very best? you can look him in the eye and say, Yes! Integrity means this: When someone asks you if you could have done it better, you can honestly say, No, I did everything I possibly could. Integrity means that you, as a leader, admit your shortcomings. It means that you work to develop your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. Integrity means that you tell the truth and you live the truth in everything you do and in all your relationships. Integrity means that you deal straightforwardly with people and situations and that you do not compromise what you believe to be true. 3. Courage. This is the chief distinguishing characteristic of the true leader. It is almost always visible in the leaders words and actions. It is absolutely indispensable to success, happiness and the ability to motivate other people to be the best they can be. In a way, it is easy to develop a big vision for yourself and for the person you want to be. It is easy to commit yourself to living with complete integrity. But it requires incredible courage to follow through on your vision and on your commitments. You see, as soon as you set a high goal or standard for yourself, you will run into all kinds of difficulties and setbacks. You will be surrounded by temptations to compromise your values and your vision. You will feel an almost irresistible urge to get along by going along. Your desire to earn the respect and cooperation of others can easily lead to the abandonment of your principles, and here is where courage comes in.

4. Realism. Realism is a form of intellectual honesty. The realist insists upon seeing the world as it really is, not as he wishes it were. This objectivity, this refusal to engage in self-delusion, is a mark of the true leader. Those who exhibit the quality of realism do not trust luck, hope for miracles, pray for exceptions to basic business principles, expect rewards without working or hope that problems will go away by themselves. These all are examples of self-delusion, of living in a fantasyland. The motivational leader insists on seeing things exactly as they are and encourages others to look at life the same way. As a motivational leader, you get the facts, whatever they are. You deal with people honestly and tell them exactly what you perceive to be the truth. This doesnt mean that you will always be right, but you will always be expressing the truth in the best way you know how. 5. Responsibility. This is perhaps the hardest quality to develop. The acceptance of responsibility means that, as Harry Truman said, The buck stops here. The game of life is very competitive. Sometimes, great success and great failure are separated by a very small distance. In watching the play-offs in basketball, baseball and football, we see that the winner can be decided by a single point, and that single point can rest on a single action, or inaction, on the part of a single team member at a critical part of the game. Life is very much like competitive sports. Very small things that you do, or dont do, can either give you the edge that leads to victory or take away your edge at the critical moment. This principle is especially true with regard to accepting responsibility for yourself and for everything that happens to you. Motivate Yourself First You become a motivational leader by motivating yourself. And you motivate yourself by striving toward excellence, by committing yourself to becoming everything you are capable of becoming. You motivate yourself by throwing your whole heart into doing your job in an excellent fashion. You motivate yourself and others by continually looking for ways to help others to improve their lives and achieve their goals. You become a motivational leader by becoming the kind of person others want to get behind and support in every way. Your main job is to take complete control of your personal evolution and become a leader in every area of your life. You could ask for nothing more, and you should settle for nothing less.

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Motivation and Motivational Leadership

Vicki Notes

Introduction

The ability to lead depends on understanding what will move people to perform. A true leader is someone who is self-motivated to achieve and able to energize others

The Art of Leadership

Leadership includes the ability to understand what drives individuals to take specific actions and to create opportunities for them to meet personal and organizational needs at the same time.

Motivation: What is it and what it is not

Motivation implies action and energy. It can be protection or achievement oriented. Such as doing just enough to keep your job or making an effort to produce at a high level over extended periods of time. Leaders are identified by the ability to make things happen. If individuals are trying to perform they are motivated. Action must be present, because wanting to do something does not always result in moving to do so.

Key Qualities of a motivational leader

Motivational leaders consistently demonstrate a number of qualities that develop gradually over time in response to successes & failures in achieving desired responses from others

What are the characteristics of a motivational leader?

Preparation, presence & perceptual ability. Preparation - knowledge & skill Presence - communication, confidence, commitment & energy Perceptual ability - insight

What are the key qualities of a motivational leader?

Knowledge & skill, effective communication of ideas, confidence, commitment, energy, insight into the needs of others and an ability to take the action necessary to achieve goals important to others.

Knowledge and Skill - comes from preparation in the responsibilities of health care delivery & organizational duty. This leader has the ability to evaluate the likelihood of success in accomplishing goals, and is able to support or suggest changes. Effective Communication of Ideas - involves the ability to convey ideas clearly and in such a way that they can be heard positively. Confidence - comes from an internal sense of security that one is competent to make a statement or take action, and that there is a reasonable chance of success in accomplishing something of value. The motivational leader is secure enough to have a lower need to control & as a result is able to encourage autonomy, participation & the empowerment of staff in decision-making. Commitment - is the internalization of an idea and a resulting drive to accomplish specific goals. The mere setting of goals does not indicate leadership that motivates. It is the ability of the leader to translate the importance of the goal (or purpose) to others and to elicit actions from others that support reaching a goal. Energy - is also needed to empower and fire the imagination of others & constantly invent & move ahead toward future events as well as current needs. Different styles of energy can be motivational. The 'high energy leader' who is effective in one situation may be viewed as 'pushy & aggressive' in another situation. Insight into the Needs of Others - is the acute awareness of the reason behind events and an ability to anticipate results of actions. When a leader can put goals into a form that has real or personal value to each person, then motivation will exists. Additional key qualities of a motivational leader are abilities to listen, reserve judgement, give direct & positive feedback, recognize individual value through respect for others, and use humor. Professional practice & shared governance depend on the clinical leader to produce an environment that fosters autonomy in decision-making & provides the skills, resources & information needed for others to make this transition.

Theories of Motivation
Physical Needs: Fatigue, Stress, and Biological Factors

Physical needs can support or hinder an individual's ability to accomplish a job. Staff may instinctively draw back from the activity that is causing the stress or may become ineffective in their activities (recall the general adaptation syndrome). Evaluate whether working conditions permit staff to satisfy basic needs such as hunger, thirst or sleep. If these needs are left unattended, the quality of performance & morale will decline & resignation will increase.

Also, the realization that the leader is aware of the problem & able to empower others toward an actual intervention can be motivational.

Psychological Needs

People can be expected to perform better to the extent that goals are difficult, specific & attractive.

Force-Field Theory

The classic Force-Field Theory refers to the extent that people can view the 'big picture' (or total issue) that they are dealing with gives them an opportunity to gain insight into the problem. If the leader sets goals that a person finds attainable then motivation can be stimulated. Performance levels also depend on the leader providing feedback.

Expectancy-Value Theory

The Expectancy-Value Theory states that people will choose the behavior with the largest combination of expected success and value. A leader can use this theory by evaluating what is important to a specific person & designing a means by which that individual can achieve their own goal while fulfilling the leader's goal. For example, a person can gain financial benefit from reducing organizational expenditures. For this theory to work you must consider several factors & the person's perception of the following: His or Her own capability of meeting a desired goal (their knowledge, skill & competence). The value of the goal. The probability that the goal will be fully realized. The cost (be it personal or financial). The risk (be it esteem, status or safety).

Equity Theory

This theory addresses that a person's motivation is also affected by whether people feel they are being treated fairly. It involves the evaluation of what one puts into a job versus what one gets out of it in comparison with some other relevant person.

Motivational-Hygiene Theory

Stresses the importance of job enrichment to improve the meaningfulness of assignments, perceived significance & worker autonomy. This works best with the self-motivated person.

Sociological Influences

The environment of the job in itself may be a motivating force. The need to be liked by others & a sense of belonging to a select group may fulfill needs for affiliation or self-esteem.

Human Resources Model (X, Y, & Z)

Theory X emphasized external rewards & that close supervision implied that employees would not work unless controlled through the use of rewards & punishments. Theory Y emphasized that workers were seen as being able to derive satisfaction from the work itself & make commitments to organizational goals. Theory Z, a combination of X and Y works the best. Theory Z suggests that people have both characteristics pertaining to both theories & that involvement of employees is essential for any organization to excel. Shared governance is one example of how a health care organization can extend full decision participation to its members

Application of Theory and Establishment of Motivational conditions Design

There are five broad categories of conditions needed to establish favorable motivation patterns & are listed as follows:

Norm Design

No matter how broadly defined, the standard operating procedure of a system must be clearly stated, both verbal & written.

External Rules

The external rules by which an organization is judged must be known by its members & may be seen in policies & procedures for various levels within the organization. Examples of external rules include the state nurse practice act, JCAHO, NCQA (National Committee on Quality Assurance, standards & legal requirements of care, and federal & states laws.

Internal Rules

Include policies, procedures and protocols established by the organization. These help to ensure compliance and provide further definition & control or standardize behavior.

Rules, or norms are intended to serve as a basis for predictable performance of critical work processes that protect the legal status of the organization & its members & provide quality patient outcomes.

Standard Benefits

An organization may offer benefits as a tangible means of attracting, retaining & rewarding staff. This also makes an organization competitive with other organizations to attract & retain staff.

Incentive Rewards

Were developed to stimulate employee motivation to achieve high personal & organizational goals. As a result, performance can be expected to improve and commitment to the goal increased. By giving staff a route of professional recognition based on an achieved level of competency, a personally rewarding career route can be made available.

Professional Environment

As a motivational element, job satisfaction has been defined as the degree of positive effect toward the overall job or its components. It does not, in itself, ensure achievement motivation.

Managed Care and Nursing Case Management

Is an example of one approach to create a motivating professional environment. Nursing case management provides continuity by linking tasks, shifts & departments.

Interpersonal and Social Factors

An important responsibility of the clinical leader is participating in the selection of personnel & establishing a climate that enhances motivation. It is useful to match new employees to interpersonal needs of the staff & create group strength.

Controlling the Spin and Building the Team

Controlling the spin means making sure that communication & actions are clearly interpreted in the way in which they were intended. Clear communication at every stage of growth & change is a key feature in having others understand, participate & buy into decisions. How might a leader set new directions? o Through group process techniques - Quality circles, Problem-solving teams, Delphi technique (think tank ideas) & Focus groups.

And through leadership mechanisms - Delegation, Recognition & Collegial relationships.

Developing Self-Motivating Environments

To be effective an organization must be able to attract & hold people in a system who are dependable in their work performance & have innovative & spontaneous behavior.

Vision of the Future

Staff involvement in creating a future vision is essential. The development of this future vision marks an opportunity for staff to express ideas & form commitments. It requires motivational leaders with a strong sense of self & an ability to welcome change & uncertainty.

Organizational Design

Emerging organizational designs involve effective planning that incorporates all committed & productive employees. Several designs are discussed as follows.

Lattices and Matrices

A lattice organization allows people to deal with others across the organization. It operates to reduce traditional hierarchy & give motivational autonomy & recognition to employees.

Amoeba Diagrams

Is the drawing of organizational lines according to actual working relationships & business dependencies. This would be like drawing a free-form line around the clinical leader, clinical nurses, dietary aide, pharmacist, laboratory technician, housekeeper and doctor for a given patient population.

Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship

This work design encourages intrapreneurial ventures. In this arrangement, employees are given autonomy to develop & implement new ideas & to benefit financially, personally & professionally from their efforts. (Example: A staff-created and managed clinic for abused children). Entrepreneurship goes a step further in that the employee or group of employees becomes independent of the organization to undertake & manage their own ventures. (Example: Nurses leave hospital employment to establish a home health agency for community-based care).

Nursing Research Issues in Motivation

As the nature of health care service shifts, the need for nursing will continue to grow & evolve.

Research Models mentioned in this chapter

Results of Empowerment as a Motivator: o Enables others to act; increases employee job satisfaction & organizational commitment. o There is a positive correlation between staff nurses perceptions of empowerment & their perceptions of manager's power o How people perceive empowerment leads to organizational commitment. Results of the Organization as an Influence: o Work restructuring results in a 20% reduction in nursing budget operations. o Reengineering via function following form leads to improvements in quality, service & financial outcomes. o Staff nurses' involvement does not ensure their influence on practice. Role of job satisfaction: o Autonomy positively influences job satisfaction. o Professional satisfaction & satisfaction with the organization are predictive of turnover. o Enthusiasm & interest in work are significantly related to having a variety of experiences & to enhancement of patient wellness, pace, recognition, personal growth, & development & technology.

Summary

Motivation is the basis for human behavior. In this day of rapid change the need to maintain a creative, committed & productive workplace is very important. The hallmark of leadership is an ability to motivate others to develop & achieve established goals & a sense of personal accomplishment & satisfaction.

The End!