Why Your Employees Are Lacking Motivation Boils Down to 3 Words
Want to inspire your employees to perform at levels you've never imagined? Even better, this leadership strategy won’t cost a penny.
The world of leadership needs a humane shift.
Away from fear-based control and toward an approach rooted in emotional intelligence, purpose, growth, and service to others.
In Humane Leadership, you’ll learn how to create a workplace where:
Your team feels empowered, respected, and supported in doing their best work.
You lead with authenticity and confidence, inspire radical love in action, and cultivate meaningful results.
Ready to shift your leadership style and create a workplace culture that attracts top talent, fosters lasting loyalty, and delivers real results
Everyone has a great boss story. Mine takes me back to 2005. I reported to an executive in a midsize hospital in Los Angeles. To this day, Bruce remains my favorite boss due to his servant-leadership style. For example:
He didn’t get caught up in his positional power, and he made me feel like I mattered.
He was the most approachable boss I ever had, despite his executive status.
He allowed me the freedom and autonomy to make important decisions.
He provided me with all the resources I needed to become a better leader.
While he was still “the boss,” I felt more satisfied and engaged in that job than at any other point in my corporate career. Why? Because he gave me what so many employees don’t get from their leaders, stripping them of their motivation:
Three Words: Lack of Purpose
There was one leadership principle that Bruce practiced with his team daily, as many of the best leaders do: he facilitated a shared purpose that gave their work meaning.
The key word here is “facilitate.” Bruce communicated an image of the future that drew us in – one that spoke to what we were seeing and feeling.
Bruce gave his team a destination: we knew where we were going.
He gave us a purpose that answered the question, “Why do we do the work we do?” We knew what greater good we served, and that kept us focused on the end goal.
He ensured we operated by shared values that we all agreed on — the very principles that guided our decisions and actions on our daily journey.
With these components clearly defined for the whole team, a tremendous amount of energy, passion, and productivity was unleashed.
We had a higher level of commitment because we were able to see the relationship between the organization's direction and what we personally believed in and cared about. After all, this is what we signed up for when we joined the organization.
As our leader, Bruce communicated an image of the future that resonated with why we were doing the work and how our work contributed to the broader picture.
Closing thoughts
We spend at least one-third of our lives at work. This generation has reached a stage unlike that of our parents and grandparents, where a job has become more than just a means to earn a paycheck. Leaders seeking an edge must design engaging work that matters and connect their employees’ work to its meaning, allowing every employee to contribute to the mission, no matter how small the task. As a leader, it should be your job to help your people find that meaning. It’s also essential to find your own purpose too. And that’s what we’ll be discussing on Friday: how to create a sense of purpose at work.
P.S. I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I know others would too. What’s one insight, challenge, or question you’re sitting with after reading this? Share it in the comments and let’s keep the conversation going.
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Read the Book: If you’re ready to lead with heart and build a culture where people feel seen, supported, and inspired to give their best, Humane Leadership is your guide. You’ll learn how to foster trust, earn lasting loyalty, and lead with radical love without losing sight of results.
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