You cannot motivate anyone on your team. You can only ignite what is already there.
That one idea changed my entire approach to leadership. When someone who used to bring great energy starts going through the motions, the instinct is to find a way to motivate them. But motivation is not something a leader hands over, and trying to do so usually means giving people what motivates you and hoping it works on them.
That assumption trips up a lot of well-meaning managers. You might love public recognition while the person on your team dreads being in the spotlight. You might get energized by constant change while they do their best work with stability and clear expectations. Motivation is personal, and treating it as one size fits all is how a leader ends up pushing harder on the wrong thing.
So instead of asking how to motivate this person, get curious about them. When do they have the most energy? When do they produce their best work, and what seems to drain them? Then ask them directly at the end of the week what the best part was and why. Their answers will tell you where the spark still is.
Knowing your people well enough to see what already drives them, and then igniting it, is the real work of leadership.
If you want your managers to lead with that kind of curiosity about their people, send me a message and let’s talk about what that could look like for your team.
